Life Chances in Turkey (Directions in Development)

Life chances explore the state of equality of opportunities in Turkey. It builds on the concepts Directions in Development ; human development. World Bank.
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Most of these events had a significant impact on education. A successful secular military coup in , for instance, led to a purge of the university sector, and a broad restructuring of the education system.

Life Chances in Turkey : Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation

In , the country experienced yet another military coup attempt. In its wake, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a widespread rollback of academic and other liberties, systematically purging civic institutions of political opponents and critics. In the higher education sector alone, some 5, academics, including deans and professors were almost immediately affected by mass firings. The parliament of the European Union in late voted in favor of suspending talks with Turkey on European Union membership, a goal Turkey has been pursuing since That Erdogan targeted the education sector is no surprise: The changes that ensued have had both positive and negative ramifications.

On the plus side, a extension of mandatory education from grade 8 to grade 12 significantly increased upper-secondary school enrollments, and public spending on education increased substantially, as did higher education enrollments: Between and , the tertiary gross enrollment jumped from 26 percent to 79 percent, as reported by the World Bank. On the other hand, the reforms have also increased attendance at religious schools, in many cases due to involuntary tracking of students after only four years of formal schooling — a trend that has alarmed observers both within Turkey and internationally.

Of particular note is the crisis in Syria.

Introduction: A History of Instability

To accommodate their integration, the Turkish government is presently training more than 19, additional teachers in collaboration with UNICEF. With many refugees likely to remain in Turkey even after the war in Syria ends, the success or failure of efforts to integrate them will have a significant long-term impact on Turkish society. Higher Education in Turkey. More recently, however, its higher education sector has suffered both capacity and quality constraints. A British Council survey of more than 4, Turkish students found that 96 percent wanted to study abroad in order to improve employment prospects.

However, that ambition has not fueled increases in outbound numbers in recent years. Student mobility data from different sources such as UNESCO, the Institute of International Education, and the governments of various countries may be inconsistent, in some cases showing substantially different numbers of international students, whether inbound, or outbound, from or in particular countries. This is due to a number of factors, including: Those fluctuations have continued. The number of students increased from in to 2, in Analysis by the British Council suggests that new markets may be gaining traction among Turkish students.

The Council predicted in that over the next decade, the total number of Turkish postgraduate students would rise in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the U. Those outbound Turkish students not enrolled in the U. Germany is, as of , the second most popular Turkish study destination after the U.


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Due to this influx, Turks currently constitute the largest ethnic minority in Germany. This migration pattern is reflected in university enrollments. Some 27, permanent residents of Turkish origin were studying at German universities in That same year, 6, Turkish international students were enrolled on German campuses.

Despite some of the challenges faced by its higher education sector, Turkey has become an increasingly important destination for internationally mobile students in recent years, particularly from the larger Middle Eastern region and Central Asia. International student quotas set by the government, likewise, have been expanded to accommodate larger student numbers, and universities have been given greater freedom in admitting international students, while private university foundations are reportedly recruiting more aggressively abroad.

International enrollment numbers provided by UIS, which do not include non-degree students, reported 48, international students in Turkey in The increased use of English at Turkish universities has reportedly been a draw for some international students, although cultural and linguistic ties with Turkic students from Central Asia and the Caucasus, combined with relatively low tuition costs, continue to be the biggest lure for international students in Turkey. Indeed, most international students in Turkey come from neighboring countries, especially those with religious, linguistic, and cultural ties.

Turkey also recently became the second most popular study destination for Iranian students abroad, after the United States. Current attempts by the U.

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Istanbul University, Ankara University, and Marmara University enroll some of the highest numbers of these students. At stake are not only student flows, but international research cooperation, financial aid, and other issues central to the quality and reputation of the Turkish education system at large.

Expat Living and Working in Turkey

Turkey has seven regions, 81 provinces, and a highly centralized system of government. Accordingly, most education policies are steered by the national government in Ankara. Schools and other local actors have little autonomy. In , the then-ruling military government ushered in a comprehensive higher education law. The council is responsible for planning, coordination, and governance of the higher education system. It sets university budgets, institutional enrollment and admission caps, and core curriculum guidelines. It also appoints faculty heads.

As of , Turkey had public universities, with a total estimated enrollment of 5. Since then, private institutions have been allowed to operate, on a non-profit basis and under governmental supervision. The first foundation university, Bilkent University, opened in and has provided a successful Turkish model for private higher education.

As of , Turkey had 72 foundation universities , which enrolled a total of , students, representing 6. Foundation universities can be either research institutions or pure teaching institutions. The governance of these universities differs from that of public institutions in that they operate under less stringent government restrictions. Whereas the deans of public universities are directly appointed by the government, the deans of foundation universities are chosen by boards of trustees. Compared to public institutions, which are mostly government-funded and charge just a few hundred U.

Some 40 percent of their students are said to currently receive scholarships. Proponents of private education argue that foundation universities provide better education than public universities and should be considered a role model for other countries in the Middle East. Classes are often taught in English, and the teaching style tends to be less hierarchical, allowing for more open interactions between students and professors.

Critics, on the other hand, maintain that these institutions, deepen social divisions by creating an elitist from of education only accessible to wealthy segments of the society. Demographically, Turkey is an increasingly young and affluent country and, as such, has tremendous need for education. The country also has one of the youngest populations in the OECD, with the second-highest share of people under the age of 15 In elementary and junior secondary education, enrollment levels are relatively high, with 95 percent of children aged attending school in This compares to an OECD average of 98 percent.

At more advanced attainment levels, however, Turkey does not fare as well. The percentage of to year-olds without any upper-secondary education was 63 percent in — up from 72 percent in , but still the second-highest percentage in the OECD. The overall average in the OECD was 23 percent in Education at a Glance , http: The extension of compulsory education until grade 12 discussed below is expected to increase upper secondary-level enrollments going forward. Tertiary-level attainment levels are also relatively low. In , only 18 percent of olds had any tertiary-level education up from 10 percent in compared to 35 percent in the OECD.

The total number of graduates from tertiary education programs, for example, increased by percent between and , from , in to , in and , in , according to UIS data. Increased participation rates in higher education have had positive effects on income levels in Turkey. In , adults with tertiary education were much more likely to be employed than their less-educated peers, and earned an average 91 percent more than adults with upper secondary education, compared to 59 percent in the OECD.

Education is presently the biggest item on the Turkish government budget, and the Turkish Statistical Agency reports that direct and indirect expenditures on education increased by 54 percent between and , from UIS data , likewise, suggests that the percentage of education spending as part of the overall Turkish budget increased by one third between and , from 8.

Those increases notwithstanding, OECD reports indicate that the 4. Compulsory education in Turkey begins at age 5, and, as of , lasts through 12 th grade. It is free of charge.

Healthcare in Turkey: from laggard to leader

Pupils now complete four years of elementary education before entering middle school in the fifth grade. Four years of middle school are followed by four additional years at the upper-secondary level. As the Swedish scholar Svante E. In other words, [many] parents and students were forced to choose between vocational schools and religious schools.

Life Chances in Turkey

Under the new law, parents are allowed to home school their children after the first four years of elementary education. I mam hatip schools are institutions devoted to the training of Muslim clergy imams and preachers. Cite this Email this Add to favourites Print this page. Catalogue Persistent Identifier https: C Wikipedia Citation Please see Wikipedia's template documentation for further citation fields that may be required.

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Life Chances in Turkey : Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation

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