Turkey’s education council ends, but debate lingers on

The education council’s controversial decisions ‘enligthen education’s future,’ according to the education minister, despite harsh opposition criticism Turkey’s National Education Council committees have completed their annual meetings, after taking a number of headline-grabbing decisions that could shape the future of the country’s education system.

Some of the most controversial decisions include:
- “Values education” will be introduced to pre-school education institutions and compulsory religion classes will be introduced in the first three years of primary school. Religion classes are already compulsory from fourth grade.
- The period of compulsory religion classes will be increased from one to two hours per week in high schools.
- Ottoman language classes will be compulsory for imam-hatip religious vocational high schools and elective for other high schools.
- Classes teaching tourism students how to serve alcoholic beverages will be abolished. These students will also not be able to intern at tourism facilities where alcoholic beverages are served.
- Weekly class periods will decreased to 30 hours. Twenty-five of these hours will be made up of compulsory courses while five hours will be made up of elective courses.

No change in mixed-sex education

Meanwhile, a proposal on introducing compulsory religion courses to kindergartens was rejected, as well as a proposal to put an end to mixed–sex education across Turkey. The committee’s decisions were voted on at the end of the council meeting and will be delivered to the Education Ministry as recommendations. Education Minister Nabi Avcı praised the council’s decisions, saying it had taken decisions that his ministry...