Turkey faces debate over calls to end co-education

Debate has intensified in Turkey following calls from the Yeni Akit newspaper to end co-education, labeling the mixed-gender model a “pedagogical error of the century.” The newspaper suggested that families should be given the choice to opt out of co-educational settings, claiming many developed nations have already abandoned the model.

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has strongly criticized these calls, describing them as a “reactionary attack” against secularism and the Republic. The TKP noted that single-sex middle schools for girls have already been established in eight cities. The party also criticized Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, accusing him of facilitating the handover of schools to religious groups and suggesting that his previous statements regarding the opening of girls-only schools to accommodate parental preferences are contradictory to the goal of increasing school enrollment.

Concerns have been raised regarding the rising number of children not attending formal education. According to data from Eğitim-İş, the number of children of compulsory school age not enrolled in formal education rose by 38.4% during the 2023-2024 academic year, reaching approximately 612,814, with estimates suggesting the figure may now exceed 800,000.