Eğitim Sen criticizes Ministry of National Education Alevism program

The Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) has criticized a new 12-module Alevism-Bektashism training program developed by the Ministry of National Education (MEB). The program is scheduled to be implemented through Public Education Centers as part of the ‘Turkey Century Education Model’ under the ‘Religious and Values Education’ field.

Eğitim Sen argues that the initiative threatens the secular nature of public education and the state's neutrality regarding religious beliefs. The union emphasizes a distinction between the scientific study of a faith—such as its history, literature, and music—and the state acting as an authority that defines the ‘correct’ interpretation or sources of a belief system.

According to the union, the program, which is presented using terms like ‘Anatolian wisdom’ and ‘cultural bridge,’ risks turning the state into an arbiter of religious legitimacy. They have called for transparency regarding the preparation process, the sources used, and the individuals or institutions that contributed to the curriculum.