Turkey's Education Minister Reports 41% Vocational Student Enrollment

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that around 41% of Turkey's secondary students are now enrolled in vocational and technical programmes, a figure close to the OECD average of 44%. He noted that, for the current cohort, 43 out of every 100 secondary pupils have registered for vocational tracks.

Tekin highlighted a series of reforms since 2010, including the removal of the previous admission coefficient, the end of practices that caused future‑career anxiety, the introduction of project schools, stronger industry involvement in curricula, expanded teacher training, upgraded workshop and laboratory facilities, and new internship arrangements that provide students with stipends equal to 30‑50% of the minimum wage.

During the 18th International MEB Robot Competition in Antalya, thousands of students from all 81 provinces and participants from 23 countries gathered, underscoring the Ministry’s focus on practical, technology‑driven education. Tekin linked these developments to broader national goals, citing the OECD Skills Summit in Istanbul, the “Turkey Century Education Model,” and the creation of a domestic intelligence test (TÜZO) as evidence of Turkey’s advancing education system.