Turkey's Education Ministry revises extra lesson pay and special service compensation
A presidential decree signed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette on 11 July 2026 updates the remuneration framework for Turkey’s education sector. The amendment adds special service compensation for teachers who have served in managerial posts – assistant provincial education directors, district directors or branch directors – granting an extra 25 points for at least ten years of service and 50 points for at least twenty years. It also introduces new extra‑lesson fees: education inspectors may receive up to 15 hours per week (60 hours per month) and their assistants up to 10 hours per week (40 hours per month); practicum teachers at the Ministry of Education Academy receive 5 hours weekly and school managers 3 hours. The decree revises terminology for vocational schools, expands support‑education to second‑ and third‑grade students, adjusts holiday extra‑lesson limits for managers and teachers, and includes early‑childhood education under the extra‑lesson scheme. The teachers’ union Eğitim Sen criticised the limited scope, calling for a uniform 35 % extra raise for all civil servants and the removal of title‑based pay differentials.
The changes affect millions of teachers and administrators across Turkey, altering salary tables and work‑hour allocations effective from July 2026.