‘New school year has started with usurpation of rights in Turkey’

* Photo: MA

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The members of the Education and Science Laborers Union (Eğitim-Sen) made statements for the press in several provinces of Turkey yesterday (September 30) and underlined that the new school year started with the usurpation of rights amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Raising concerns about the ongoing problems in face-to-face and distance education in the country, the union members addressed the reporters in Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin and İstanbul.

As reported by the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Eğitim-Sen Diyarbakır Branch members gathered in front of the Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education for their statement for the press.

Zuhal Sezer, the Co-Chair of the No.2 Branch of the union, expressed concerns about the shortcomings and disruptions in the Education Information Network (EBA), through which millions of primary, secondary and high school students access distance education on TV and Internet.

"Considering the number of students and the class schedules, it was not difficult to foresee that there would be a particular amount of overcrowding," Sezer said and briefly added the following:

"It is striking that even though the Ministry of National Education does not take measures about this issue, distance education is going on in private schools. Since issues such as child labor and millions of students' lack of access to online education are not considered to be the main problematic areas by the Ministry of Education, the necessary steps are not taken."

The Adana Branch of the union also made a statement at the Abidin Dino Park. Branch Chair İrfan Doğan underlined that it had been known that there would be problems with accessing the EBA system.

Indicating that there was an intention to save on the labor of hundreds of thousands of teachers, Doğan said, "As it did for times and times again before, the Ministry of National Education is once again disregarding our labor and trying to restrict our legal rights by arbitrary practices."

The Mersin Branch members of the Eğitim-Sen union made a statement for the press in front of the Mersin Provincial Directorate of National Education.

Secretary General Semih Gündoğdu noted that the technical infrastructure of the EBA was not reinforced and no solutions were developed to eliminate the inequalities in accessing distance education. He underlined that the new school year started in Turkey with usurpation of rights.

The İstanbul Branches of the union also made a statement in front of the Provincial Directorate of National Education in Fatih and raised concerns about the inequalities in education and salaries of teachers.

The statement for the press was read out by Mehmet Emin Kırşanlıoğlu, the Term Spokesperson for the Eğitim-Sen İstanbul Branches. (AÖ/SD)