“Pupils Learn About Military From First Syllable”

History Foundation (Tarih Vakfı) announced the report results of “Human Rights in Schoolbooks Project III” performed with the collaboration of Istanbul Bilgi University Sociology and Education Studies Unit (SEÇBİR) on Tuesday.

They searched 245 schoolbooks nearly in every fields of study used during 2012-2013 school year according to the criteria of human rights.

Books were reviewed based on 38 sets of Qualitative Search Criteria regarding the aspects of violation and good example. “We and the others”, “human rights”, “state, democracy and the concepts of secularism”, “social gender equality”, and “philosophy of education” are the headlines of this criteria.

The report was drafted with the headline “The schoolbooks fall behind the social transformation in Turkey and they are wide of the aim of strengthening the social peace and democratic citizenship.

“Us” and “them”

The “us” identity includes only the Turkish ones originated from Central Asia and be Muslim.

* Every citizen lived in Turkey is regarded as Muslim.

* “What kinds of preparations are made in your house in order to celebrate religious and national holidays?” (Türkçe 3 Öğretmen Kılavuz Kitabı, Dörtel, 252) A Guidebook for teachers

* Even though the school syllabus is included elective courses such as Kurdish, Abkhasian and Lazuri languages; the schoolbooks are prepared based on a mono-lingual and mono-cultural perspective by ignoring the other groups.

* The books are adapted from the text and images related with urbanized and educated middle class culture.

* Turkish lecture in first-grade starts with “er” syllable [It has also meaning of soldier], and the syllable is learnt with the sentence "Ata er ol” [Ata, Be soldier]. (Türkçe 1, MEB, 52). A schoolbook for Turkish lesson published by Ministry of Education. The photos of child soldiers are printed in Turkish schoolbooks (Türkçe 2, 2. Kitap, Yıldırım, 125).

"Science man"

* Another issue concerning the quality of the schoolbooks is the necessary linkage of the subjects with Kemalism. This fact is led to create problem texts. For example, in Science and Technology lesson the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are included within the subject “the adaptation of organisms”.

* “Cemil, what do you want to be when you grow up?
__ I will be soldier.
__ What will you do as a soldier?
__ If the enemy would dare to set foot on this land again, I will chase him." (Türkçe 1, Ders ve Öğrenci Çalışma Kitabı, Kartopu, 26-7). A Turkish schoolbook

* Long time ago, there lived a “science man” named Hazerfan Ahmet Çelebi”.  (Türkçe 1, ÖKK, MEB, 133). A schoolbook for Turkish lesson published by Ministry of Education.

* Gendered roles has been also ongoing. This can even be observed in math books. We can come across with the violent quotes that passed beyond the sexism as well.

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.