The State of Our Education System in the 100th Year of Our Republic

A conference focusing on the 100-year journey of our education system was organized by IAÜ TARMER (Social Research and Application Center) and the Faculty of Education, with the participation of academics from various universities.

The conference, moderated by TARMER Director Prof. Dr. Ömer Özyılmaz, began with a musical performance by Music Education Department faculty members Dr. Ulaş Özer and Dr. Barbaros Derviş Okay. The opening speech was given by the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Elif Yeşim Üstün, who emphasized equal opportunities in education. Üstün stated, “Equal opportunities and inclusivity were among the main topics discussed at the last National Education Council. Equal opportunities in education mean ensuring that every student has access to quality education. As long as socio-economic inequality persists, it is quite difficult to eliminate this situation.” Prof. Dr. Üstün also highlighted that according to the 2022 Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data, 10 million children are struggling with poverty and discrimination. Üstün concluded by saying, “Although primary, middle, and high school enrollment rates are above ninety percent, 442,000 children are deprived of schooling. We have made significant progress in pre-school education. However, access to school becomes difficult when we reach the 3-4 year old age group. Poverty and deprivation are the biggest obstacles to children’s access to education. I expect all my colleagues to contribute to the solution of this problem.”

“Every system must have its own hero, its own authority.”

Following the opening speech, Professor Irfan Erdoğan, a faculty member at Boğaziçi University, addressed the Turkish education system from a comparative education perspective, stating that Turkey has had great educators throughout its history. Erdoğan said, “Education systems have institutions, concepts, and heroes—in other words, authorities. Every education system is viewed in this way. From this perspective, we can say that we have an education system with a rich history and references.”

Noting that great importance has been given to education since the founding of the Republic, Prof. Dr. Erdoğan stated that institutions such as village institutes and national schools are valuable and that these institutions are equivalents of the Enderun schools that existed in the Ottoman Empire. Erdoğan said, “Unlike practices in the world, our boarding schools cater to all segments of society and especially take children from the lower classes and elevate them to higher levels. This way, mobility from the bottom up is much greater.”

“As long as the Republic exists, good and genuine education will continue.”

Commenting on the philosophy of the Turkish education system, Professor Seyfi Kenan, a faculty member at Marmara University, said, “If you examine Turkish history, you will see that its trajectory has been towards the republic since the 18th century. The question of what the educational philosophy of the new republic should be took shape in the early 1900s.”

Professor Dr. Kenan stated that a tremendous educational mobilization was undertaken in the early years of the Republic, emphasizing that providing good and genuine education to everyone, regardless of religion, race, gender, or tradition, was established with the Republic and will continue as long as the Republic exists; and that good and genuine education can only survive thanks to teachers and students who are free in thought, conscience, and intellect.

Stating that the Republic is a process that needs to be constantly developed and strengthened, Prof. Dr. Kenan said, “The Republic is not a frozen, monolithic entity; it must be developed and strengthened, and education forms the backbone of this.”

“Education should enable individuals to realize their full potential.”

Finally, Professor Dr. Yavuz Erişen, a faculty member at Yıldız Technical University, addressed the issue of our human development system and the problems of education. Emphasizing that everyone has different potentials, Professor Dr. Erişen stated, “Our fundamental goal is to determine how we will raise individuals and how they will benefit society. Everyone is unique and special; we all have different potentials. Through education, we can reveal these potentials and benefit society.” He underlined that education should aim to cultivate individuals who are qualified, capable of self-realization, and able to fulfill their potential. Professor Dr. Erişen added, “Education is a process that enables individuals to realize themselves and lead social reform by combining the experiences of the past, the opportunities of the present, and the vision of the future. School should be life itself and a pioneer of social reform, and we must raise people who will achieve this through education.”

The conference concluded with a question-and-answer session with the participants.