Turkey Education Minister Yusuf Tekin flags Tunceli student decline and national classroom expansion

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said that the number of students in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli is falling rapidly, noting that the province now has one of the steepest drops in population growth in the country. He highlighted current pupil‑to‑classroom ratios – 15 students per primary‑school classroom, 11 in middle and high schools – and said the ministry has completed safety assessments of schools that may need seismic reinforcement or reconstruction.

Tekin also reported a nationwide increase in classroom capacity, stating that the education system moved from roughly 200 000 classrooms before 2002 to about 750 000 during the 2025‑2026 academic year. He cited significant investment in Denizli, where classroom numbers rose from 5 878 to 9 972 and teacher numbers more than doubled, underscoring Turkey’s ongoing focus on strengthening educational infrastructure.