Turkey Ministry of National Education issues budget warning and faces exam lawsuit

The Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) has issued a critical warning to school administrations regarding unused travel allowance budgets. Official audits revealed that over 16 million TL in funds designated for temporary and permanent duty travel allowances have not yet been spent. The Ministry stated that any unused portions of these budgets will be canceled and deducted from the accounts if not utilized by the deadline of October 26, 2026.

Separately, several teachers' unions have filed a lawsuit with the Council of State to annul the Common Written Examination System (OYSS). The unions argue that the system, which involves centralized question pools for various subjects in middle and high schools, violates the Teaching Profession Law by reducing teachers to mere administrators of centrally provided questions. The Ministry defended the system, noting that pilot studies were conducted across various provinces and that the 2026-2027 academic year schedules were announced in September 2026.