TİHEK fines district education office over special education penalty corner

The Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (TİHEK) has imposed an administrative fine of 17,052 Turkish Lira on a district national education directorate following an investigation into a special education classroom. The investigation was triggered by a family's complaint regarding a student with a 90 percent disability and autism spectrum disorder.

While judicial authorities issued a non-prosecution decision regarding allegations of physical violence by teachers due to a lack of conclusive evidence, TİHEK focused on the use of a ‘penalty corner’ within the classroom. The institution determined that the practice of isolating students in a designated corner to encourage reflection was pedagogically unsound for young children with autism, as they may lack the abstract thinking skills required for such methods.

TİHEK concluded that the implementation of the penalty corner, combined with inadequate guidance services at the school, constituted discrimination based on disability and violated the prohibition of discrimination.