Turkey Education Minister announces new school policies and reforms

Turkish National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has outlined several key updates and policy directions for the country’s education system. Regarding school regulations, Tekin addressed the implementation of teacher aprons to maintain professional standards and issued warnings against the use of mobile phones in classrooms.

Addressing international performance, Tekin noted that Turkey is the only OECD country to show a steady increase in PISA scores across mathematics, science, and reading since 2015. He attributed these improvements to increased budget allocations and infrastructure developments, such as increasing the number of classrooms from approximately 150,000 to 750,000 over the last two decades.

On administrative and structural matters, Tekin announced that a new model to permanently resolve shortages in school cleaning and security personnel is expected in February. He also clarified that there are currently no plans to shorten the 12-year compulsory education period, though such a move would require broad social consensus. Additionally, he explained that mid-term breaks are being integrated with religious holidays to maintain the required 180-day school year.

In the vocational sector, the Minister emphasized the importance of the Vocational Education Centers (MESEM) program for economic development and urged the business community to support these programs while ensuring strict adherence to occupational health and safety standards for students.