Teacher Sanctioned for Criticizing Students' Oath

38-year-old Nihat Aksoy has been a primary school teacher for 16 years. He teaches Social Sciences at the Bingöl 100^th Year Primary School (south-eastern Turkey) and is responsible for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade students.

In 2010, Aksoy prepared a program together with his students as representatives of children rights on the international Human Rights Day on 10 December. The students read poems and articles and texts they had prepared themselves on the historic background and the importance of the day. The teacher performed the closing speech. In the context of rights violations, Aksoy referred to the students' oath primary school students were made to listen to every day.

Students' oath contrary to human rights?

Aksoy said in his speech, "Dear children, today is the International Human Rights Day. Unfortunately, human rights are being violated in our country and in many places all over the world. Also the students' oath read to students at school every day constitutes a violation of universal human rights. I personally do not support the reading of this oath".

Thereupon, three colleagues who were supervising the students on that day wrote a report about Nihat Aksoy. The record was processed by the school administration and an investigation was launched about Aksoy subsequently. It was forwarded to the Provincial National Education Directorate. The punishment, a deduction of salary, was determined by the Discipline Branch President, Hasan Başubay.

Aksoy's salary is cut by 3.3 percent because of his opinion on the oath. The sanction will be applied as of August 2011. Hence, his salary of TL 2,250 (approx. € 1,100) will be cut by TL 75.

Appeal

In an interview with bianet, Aksoy made clear that this was much more of a non-pecuniary issue than a financial matter. He reminded that this sanction would enter his personal record. Aksoy added that he did not take personally the attitude displayed by his colleagues and the school administration.

"Everybody acted according to their personal stance and did what they knew was the right thing to do. We do not have a personal problem. My speech was deemed contrary to the regulations. The sanction is in line with the rules. But in legal aspects not everything was handled fairly. Some rules are problematic in a conscientious sense", Aksoy expounded.

In Aksoy's opinion, many people of different ethnic origins live in Turkey and thus it is not just to start every day by saying "I am a Turk, I am right, I am industrious". He is going to file an appeal with the National Education Disciplinary Board on Tuesday (2 August).

The board may also find Aksoy's sanction appropriate or might convert the sanction into a reprimand.

Aksoy announced that in case the sanction would be upheld he would apply to the Regional Administrative Court and would go as far as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if necessary. (IC/ŞA/VK)