'Share of private schools in Turkey increased 10 fold in AKP era'

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The share of private schools in Turkey's education system has increased 10 fold since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, according to a report by the Unity Union.

Two percent of the schools in the country were private whereas nearly 20 percent of schools are private as of 2021, the union said in a report marking October 5 World Teachers' Day.

There are currently over 13,000 private schools in Turkey with the number of students in private schools increasing from about 220,000 to over 1.3 million, the report shows. About 7.5 percent of all students study in private schools.

The number of teachers working at private schools increased from 21,000 to 175,000, according to the union.

"Bosses that entered the private school sector increased their profits not only with public incentives, tax cuts and constant school fee hikes, but also by gradually worsening teachers' working conditions and lowering their wages," says the report.

"The state, through legislations and ignoring teachers' problems, encouraged teachers' employment with low wages and without job security and rules."

The pandemic excerbated the problems

As schools remained closed for nearly one year and a half during the pandemic, teachers' problems deepened, noted the union.

"Aside from long-term negative consequences that may prevent the retirement of teachers, this process led to a new period where insecure work became the norm in private schools.

"With the irregularities of working hours caused by flexible working, teachers had to meet the increasing expenses such as food, electricity and internet with their decreased wages.

"During the in-person education, which started with the new school year, it was observed that classes were formed without complying with pandemic measures, and hygienic materials such as masks and disinfectants were not provided to teachers free of charge.

"This negative picture created in cooperation by the government and private school bosses reveals that the working conditions of private school teachers are getting worse.

"Private school teachers are losing their health as well as their rights and professional reputation." (AÖ/VK)