Afyonkarahisar education directorate issues tender for paid teachers

The Afyonkarahisar Provincial Directorate of National Education has faced criticism following a tender for ‘Paid Teacher Service Procurement’ for the Asım Kocabıyık Kindergarten Children’s Club. The tender, conducted via the 21/f negotiation method, aims to employ five individuals for a total of 900 hours of work, with each person working five hours daily.

The contract, valued at 1,851,000 TL, was awarded to Klas Global İnşaat Yemekçilik on August 19, 2026. Records indicate that the same company won a similar tender in September 2025. The tender documents specify that wages will be calculated as a 114.28 percent difference over the gross minimum wage.

This procurement has sparked debate regarding the professional status of teachers, particularly as National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin previously stated that ‘paid teaching’ is a non-existent concept in current legislation and systems. While administrative sources suggested the term ‘paid teacher’ might have been used in error instead of ‘master trainer,’ the tender remains a point of contention regarding teacher employment models.