Contradicting his previous statement, minister says Turkey has ‘no problem with learning loss’

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Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer talked about Turkey's education agenda in a TV program.

Having met education editors on November 17, 2021 and said, "During the pandemic, there were losses of learning in all grades in the course of distance learning", Minister Özer, in his new statement some 4 months later, said, "We have no problem about learning loss".

Schooling rates

Further in his statement, Özer noted that "the difference among the children in terms of academic success is caused by pre-school education" and said, "That is why I attach a considerable importance to pre-school education. We will increase the number of our special education kindergartens as well. We don't forget them. We will open 1,000 kindergartens in İstanbul. We are having difficulties finding lands, but we will figure it out".

Speaking about the schooling rates in Turkey as well, Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer said, "Our biggest success in the past 19-20 years has been to increase the schooling rates in other educational grades to the OECD averages. While the schooling rate in secondary education was 40 percent in the 2000s, it is now around 90 percent".

Appointment of teachers

Referring to the employment of teachers, Minister Özer announced that "teachers will be appointed to all the schools that have been opened".

Noting that an appointment will "surely take place" based on the 2021 Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), the Minister said, "We have transferred the biggest pay, the biggest funding to the schools that are in need the most. We have no problems with meeting the needs of our schools. We have provided 24 million study aids to all schools". (RT/SD)