UNICEF Calls for Increased Education Spending

Click to read the article in Turkish

UNICEF has called for increased education spending, warning of a global education crisis if governments fail to do so.

According to a report published by the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, by 2030 two in three school-age children in low-income countries will not have learned basic skills, and by 2030 there will be 1.5 million adults who have not been educated beyond primary school level.

In order to prevent the threat of a global crisis UNICEF called for a 3-5 percent education spending increase in national budgets.

Turkey

The education budget in Turkey also prompted criticisms.

In February 2016, the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) had saidthat it would not be possible to tackle the problems in the education system with the 2016 budget, such as those regarding physical infrastructure, teaching and administrative vacancies, and equipment requirements.

The union emphasized that the Ministry of National Education (MEB) budget had only made preparations for the compulsory expenditure in the education system.

“For years, the resources allocated to public services -- especially education and health -- have increased in numerical terms alone, and a distinct decrease is seen when one looks from the perspective of public investment in education.

“In 2014, despite a 62 billion TL MEB budget that increased

“Despite increasing problems around schools, classrooms, teacher needs and urgent infrastructure issues, the 2014 MEB budget of 62 billion lira projected 78 billion 354 million lira for the 2016 budget.”

The MEB budget in 2015 was 62 billion Turkish Lira.

Behind OECD countries

In the report published today by Eğitim İş, it was emphasized that the determined budget of 76 billion lira was insufficient.

“Whilst OECD countries set aside 6 percent of national income rates for education, Turkey’s current budget sets aside 3.45 percent, putting it among the countries investing least in education.” (YY/PS)