Turkey Education Ministry Reshapes Deputy Principal Posts and Bars Convicted Teachers From Management

The Turkish Ministry of National Education has issued new appointment regulations that eliminate the four‑year security for surplus deputy principals, automatically reassigning them to teaching positions. The process, scheduled for August 2026, includes a listing of surplus staff, an appeals period, and final deployment as teachers starting 31 August, with formal transfers completed by 1 September.

In parallel, a separate provision bars teachers who have received disciplinary or criminal sanctions within the past four years from applying for principal or deputy principal roles, even if they achieve perfect exam scores. Applications that do not meet this criterion will be cancelled during the verification stage.

Both measures have drawn criticism from teachers’ unions, who argue that the reforms jeopardise career prospects, undermine merit‑based appointments, and could erode institutional knowledge within schools.