ISTANBUL AYDIN UNIVERSITY

FINAL PAPER
EDU 214 HISTORY OF TURKISH EDUCATION

June 16, 2020

Adı Soyadı : ERVA DİLARA SAĞIR………………………………………………………………………

Öğrenci No
Dersin Kodu ve Adı
Bölümü/Öğretim Türü
Dersi Veren Öğretim Elemanı
Sınav Türü
:B1801.010057 …………………………………………………………………………….
: EDU 214
:ELT……………………………………………………… 1. Öğretim 2. Öğretim
:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
: Ara Sınav Final Sınavı

Rakamla Yazıyla
Değerlendirme Sonucu :………………………………………. ………………………………………….

QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions. You can refer to the articles but DO NOT just copy paste. Compose
your own sentences. (50 x 2 = 100 pts.)

1. Discuss the effects of neo liberal policies implemented after the 1980’s on the Turkish Education

system. Explain the changes in the role of the state in education. Justify your answer by referring to

some figures revealed in Fatma Gök’s article.

2. Regarding the social and economic conditions of Turkey during the time Village Institutes were

established, discuss the role and curriculum of these institutes to meet the educational demands and

needs of the country.

1) Before the 80s, education was depending on many variations like income, social class, ethnic

background, age, gender discrimination, and disabilities. These were the determiners of the education

quality that you could take. Also, rural areas and the eastern and southern provinces could gain fewer

services and lag behind in the meaning of enrolment and quality of education. The upper-class families’

kids were receiving more advantages. After the 1980 coup d’ état, neo-liberal policies are accepted.

However, this situation ended in wider gaps and lower social services. The problem strongly related to

educational inequality was depending on income discrimination. This situation has led to dual

education. Private schools were getting better education quality and overcrowded state schools getting

less education quality. On 24 January 1980, the Turkish government was encouraged privatization in the

economy and public services. Consequently, financial sources from state funds were stopped suddenly.

Poor people weren’t satisfied because they couldn't afford it. Also, the low income of the teacher

salaries situation led to the changing of teachers’ choice and force them to take place in private schools

because their income was 3 or 5 times higher. The discount of educational funds ends up in a rapid rise

in population. Because of this situation, rich families were looking for private schools, and this even

leads to much more deterioration in state schools. As a result, private schools were grown rapidly. In

addition to these complicated situations, the Turkish government put forward semi-private schools and

Anatolian schools. These schools were teaching a second language and provided better learning so there

was a huge competition to accept in these schools. Moreover, foundation universities were introduced.

The first private university Bilkent University was established by a person who criticizes this situation.

Finally, the competition to accept semi-private schools situation caused private preparatory institutions.
The Turkish Village Institues were founded In 17 April 1940 by Ministry of National Education, Hasan

Ali Yücel and his General Director of Primary Education İsmail Hakkı Tonguç. They founded in order to

tranform the Turkish countryside. This idea was totally unique to Turkish government. They inspired

John Dewey. The Turkish Village Institutes was originally designed in place training institutions. They

allowed the students to participate actively into education with their own actions leading to educated,

critical thinking and creative individuals.

Institutes were created to meet a serious educational need. In 1928,

82.5 per cent ofmen and 95.2 per cent of women were illiterate. For 13.6 million people, there were only 

4,894 elementary schools and most of those were in the towns,not the villages where most of the people li

ved. So, they decided to educate the rural areas because most of the people were living there. These

schools were founded in 21 different area of Turkey. The teachers taught not only the traditional

education but also the agriculture methods by applying. Instituties both have practical and classical

methods. The teacher gradudated here was not only a teacher but also has knowledge about agriculture,

fisheries, carpentency etc…

Their daily routine included morning gymnastics, reading hours and farming. Each student has to read 25 

books for each year and learn how to play a musical instrument. They also had weekly meetings in which 

students can freely criticize teachers and school administration. These institutes became good and rare ex

amples of learning by doing and from this aspect they became the subjects for many studies. Despite their

great benefits, many parts of the society were against these schools. Conservatives opposed the co-

education in a boarding school. It was very hard to persuade parents at villages to let their childrens there

Anticommunist and antisocialist movements, strong at the time, attacked the schools and lower their reput

ation in the society.School libraries contained leftist books as well and students were expected to read diff

erent political thoughts.  So, schools was regulated again, turned into just practice lessons but later on,

they are closed down.