Turkish Education Minister reports 26,920 seasonal migrant students

Turkish Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin has responded to parliamentary inquiries regarding the education of children from seasonal agricultural worker families. Tekin reported that the e-Okul Management Information System has identified the movement of 26,920 students associated with seasonal agricultural workers and nomadic families for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The Minister clarified that this figure represents students moving due to seasonal migration rather than students dropping out of the school system entirely. To support these students, the Ministry utilizes various measures, including school transfers, mobile or temporary educational units, and the assignment of traveling teachers. Additionally, compensation education modules have been prepared for preschool, primary, and middle school levels to address potential learning losses.

CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer criticized the current situation, noting that harvest periods often overlap with the school term, forcing children to migrate with their families. Gürer raised concerns regarding the adequacy of field applications, the living conditions of these families in tents, and the potential for students to fall months behind their peers due to these disruptions.