School marks centenary with pioneering legacy

The İzmir Girls' High School, one of the first educational institutions in the history of the Turkish Republic, is commemorating the centenary with a deep sense of reverence attributed to both two visits from the nation's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and numerous pioneering alumnae who have significantly shaped the role of women and led the charge in societal progress of females in the newly established country.

Amidst Atatürk's unflagging commitment to education, elevating women's participation in society with outstanding professions and roles was a paramount priority in the newly established Turkish Republic, after six centuries of Ottoman rule.

The declaration of the republic on Oct. 29, 1923, also repleted with the establishment of many schools and universities that emphasized modern and internationally recognized disciplines, in contrast to the traditional Ottoman medreses.

During a time when only two girls' high schools were established, one of them, the Izmir Girls' High School, received two visits from "Headteacher" Atatürk.

In the year 1925, when the school produced its first graduates and hosted the great leader, there were just three graduates.

Nevertheless, Atatürk, the staunch advocate of girls' education, perceived this modest number as the harbinger of a burgeoning educational fervor.

In the school's guestbook, which was then located in a mansion in today's Alsancak district, Atatürk wrote: "I am very pleased with my visit to İzmir Girls' High School. The serious and well-directed efforts of the headmistress and male teachers are conspicuous, deserving both esteem and admiration. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Oct. 14, 1925."

Atatürk's second visit transpired in the school's contemporary edifice, which...