Response to question on girls left out of schooling: 'It is not appropriate to share this data'

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"Girls schools could be opened," the Minister of Education Yusuf Tekin had said in a live TV program on July 11, because there were families who did not send their girls to school and who said, "I do not want to send my girl to the same school as boys." 

The statement had drawn many reactions and gave rise to a nationwide discussion. 

bianet officially asked the Ministry the number of girls who were out of schooling through CİMER, the Presidency Communication Presidency on July 13.

The response was given today (July 27), signed by the Deputy Minister, but it states that it is not deemed appropriate to share this data. 

"It is not deemed appropriate to send the requested information or document to the applicant," says the reply signed by Petek Aşkar, the Deputy Minister of Education. 

The statements of Minister Tekin in the TV program on opening girls' schools have drawn backlash from the opposition and from different sections of society and is being discussed ever since. 

While the suggestion of opening girls' schools in order to meet the demands of the families "who do not want to send their girls to the same schools as boys" was found unacceptable by many, some political parties that are allied with the government have expressed support for gender-segregated schools.  

Questions left unanswered

bianet directed four questions to the Ministry of Education about girls left out of schooling. 

The following questions have been left unanswered by the Ministry: 

* What is the number of girls who are left out of schooling from 2000 to 2022?

* How many of the children who do not/cannot go to school are girls and how many are boys?

* What are the age groups of the students left out of schooling?

* Are any proceedings started against the families who do not send their children to school? How many families are there against whom proceedings have been taken? 

(RT/PE)