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Home , Education in Turkey, Gaziantep University

Factsheet

THO Factsheet EDUCATION IN

Ziya Selcuk, Education Minister of Turkey “The main purpose of the 2023 Education Vision is to raise science-loving, skilled, and ethical individuals who take an interest in culture and are willing to use present and future skills for the well-being of humanity”.

In Turkey, the idea of conducting education and training services by the state was the first developed during the period of II. Mahmut. The education and training services that had been previously carried out by the foundations were transferred to Maarif-i Umumiye Nezareti on 17 March 1857. And, a minister responsible for education and training services took his place in the parliament. With the establishment of the Ministry, the schools were divided into three levels: primary, secondary, and mekâtib-i fünün-i mütenevvia. (sıbyan, rüștiye ve mekâtib-i fünün-i mütenevvia). The first legal regulation on education system is the Regulation on Education (Maarif-i Umumiye Nizamname) issued in 1869.

Turkey saw the most dramatic shift in educational policy during the Ataturk or Republican Era of the 1920s. Recognized as the “Father” of modern Turkey, Ataturk was a firm believer in the ideals of the enlightenment and valued science. During the Republican Era Turkey has shifted from the Holy (Islamic) Law to European civil law, adopted the Gregorian calendar and changed its from the to the .

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, everyone has the right to receive education. Education is compulsory from ages 6 to 14 and free in state schools. The country's primary schools is nearly 100%. The academic year in Turkish education institutions generally begins in the mid-September or early October and continues to May or early June. There is also a two-week winter break in February.

Stages of the Education System Pre-School Education: Optional education, up to 6 years of age. Primary Education: Compulsory and free basic education for eight years (5 years elementary + 3 years secondary), 6-14 years of age. : 4 years of High School (Lise), or Vocational High School education, 15-17/18 years of age. Some schools might have an additional year of language study. High schools are mostly owned by the government and provide . Higher Education: 4 years of , or 2 years at Higher Vocational Schools. Some schools have an additional year of language study. Under normal circumstances, Master's study lasts 2 years; PhD 3-5 years. This category includes all educational institutions which will provide post-secondary education. They are under the supervision of Higher Educational Council (YOK). Types of High Schools Public High Schools (“Normal Liseler” or “Duz Liseler”): Any student who successfully completes 8 years of basic education can go onto these schools. Graduates of public high schools, if successful in the nationwide University Entrance Examination (ÖSS), can go onto higher education institutions. Graduates are awarded with the Lise Diploması. Vocational High Schools (Meslek Liseleri): Some of these schools may take an additional year to complete. Graduates can automatically go on to higher vocational schools (Meslek Yüksek Okulları - 2 Year Vocational Colleges) in their respective fields of study if they wish. Alternatively, if successful in the university entrance examination, they can go onto 4-year schools in their respective fields. Anatolian High Schools (Anadolu Liseleri): One year of English study followed by 3 years of regular high school education, additional hours for English. Math and Science lessons at these schools are sometimes taught in English. Lessons at some Anatolian high schools are taught in either German or French. Super High Schools (Super Liseler): The difference between these and normal high schools is one extra year of English study. They differ from Anatolian high schools in that the language of instruction for math and science courses is always Turkish and less hours are given to English lessons. Science High Schools (Fen Liseleri): These are special public schools for students who have exceptional aptitude in the sciences. These very competitive high schools train students specifically for higher education in the sciences, technical and medical fields. There is also Anatolian Science High Schools (Anadolu Fen Liseleri), where the medium of instruction for math and sciences is sometimes in English. Private High Schools (Ozel Liseler): Most private high schools charge very high tuition fees and are very competitive.

There are also schools which were founded as missionary schools during the . The schools which still exist follow a model, according to the . is the oldest continually-running American school founded outside the US. The school opened in 1863 to educate boy students, and was followed in 1871 by the American College for Girls. In 1971 the two schools merged under the name Robert College, which became a co-educational high school. Admission is based on the standardized high school entrance exam developed by the Ministry of National Education. Students who come to Robert College score in the top 0.2% on this exam. Robert College welcomes students from all over Turkey and has a strong scholarship program. There are also some French, Italian and Austrian (formerly) missionary schools, majority of them in .

Types of Higher Education Institutions

State (Devlet Universiteleri): The university system in Turkey is governed by the Higher Educational Council (YOK). Turkey has 104 state and 62 private universities (a total of 166 institutions of higher learning), 5 of which are located in the Turkish Republic of Northern . Apart from the public and private universities, 8 foundation higher vocational schools serve the job market. Generally, undergraduate education takes 4 years at universities, but some fields such as medicine (6 years), dentistry (5 years), and veterinary science (5 years) take longer. Turkish high school graduates go directly into fields of study such as medicine, law, dentistry and so on. No tuition fee is charged at public schools (devlet universitesi); students pay only a small basic fee. Students need to pass a nationwide University Entrance Exam (OSS) to enter a university. The graduates of 4-year programs are awarded with the Bachelor's Degree (Lisans Diplomasi). The medium of instruction at some state universities is English, German or French. Therefore, all correspondence with the university staff and applications to the faculties can be done in English, German or French. However, instruction language at state universities is mostly Turkish. When entering the exam of the university, the knowledge of Turkish is not necessary. Those who pass the exams, and have only a little knowledge of Turkish, are considered to take one year of language foundation to gain proficiency in the . Graduate-level programs consist of master and doctoral programs, coordinated by institutes in universities. Medical specialty programs are carried out within the faculties of medicine and the training hospitals owned by the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Institute (SGK).

Higher Vocational Schools (Meslek Yuksek Okulları): They offer 2 years of undergraduate study after high school and are very much like the community colleges in the USA. The only difference is that students cannot easily transfer to 4-year schools in the USA due to fewer places at the 4-year schools. Two year graduates must take the national Vertical Transfer Test (Dikey Gecis Sinavi) and have a high GPA to be able to apply to 4-year schools. The graduates of 2-year programs are awarded with the Associate's or Pre-Bachelor's Degree (On Lisans Diplomasi).

Private or Foundation Universities (Ozel / Vakif Universiteleri): In Turkey, private foundations obtained the right in 1984 to establish and develop universities. They were established with the fundamental aim of creating a centre of excellence in higher education and research. Private universities take more active initiatives to form and to select international and global educational and research networks. The medium of instruction in most private universities is English. Almost all have one year of English study for those whose level of English is not found to be proficient upon entrance. Private universities charge tuition fee ranging from USD 6,000-20,000. Although private institutions, they offer considerable financial aid; more than 40% of all students receive some sort of financial aid.

Turkey's population of 80 million is relatively young when compared with many other countries. Turkey's population was registered as 80.8 million in 2017. It is expected to reach 86.9 million by 2023, and 100.3 million by 2040, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). Turkey, with half of its population under the age of 31.7 in 2017, has the largest youth population when compared with countries in the EU. More than 6.7 million students are enrolled in higher education. Approximately 800,000 students graduate from universities every year. As of December 2018, there are 119 public and 67 private foundation universities serving five million students in various academic programs. 2017 figures show that 3.32 million students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 480,000 in master's programs, 91,000 in PhD, 23,000 in doctors in residency programs and 3.30 million in the Open University. Entrance into universities, especially to the top ones, is competitive due to the limited capacity of Turkish universities. Students need to successfully pass two nationwide placement tests. Every year an increasing number of students take the university exams. In 2016, 2,256,357 high school graduates took the exams and around 26% of these applicants were enrolled in a 4-year program, 20% in a 2-year program, and 11% to the Open University (distance education in the various subfields). The rest were unable to enter any higher education program. In Turkey, the Ministry of National Education is responsible for administering all educational services in the country, excluding higher education. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) is a 22-member corporate public body responsible for the planning, coordination and supervision of higher education. Turkey's top five universities:

According to the Best Global Universities US News 2019 report, Turkey's top five global universities were ranked as Bogazici, Middle East Technical University (METU), Istanbul Technical University, Bilkent and Hacettepe. These Turkish universities have been numerically ranked based on their positions in the overall Best Global Universities rankings. Schools were evaluated based on their research performance and their ratings by members of the academic community in the region and around the world. Turkish students in the U.S.

Over 44,000 Turkish students go abroad for university education. U.S. colleges and universities already attract around one fourth of these students for undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as specialized training. The Institute of International Education's Open Doors 2018 Statistics show that Turkey, with its 10,520 students, is the fifteenth leading place of origin for students in the U.S. Among European countries, Turkey has the second place after the U.K. with its number of students in the U.S. The enrollment level of the Turkish students is as follows:

Undergraduate: 3,474 Graduate: 4,760 Other (Language, Training, OPT Courses): 2,286

Around half of the Turkish students in U.S. universities are studying for their graduate degrees. According to the Turkish Fulbright Commission, which is part of the Education USA network of the Department of State, following are the most popular fields of study chosen by Turkish students planning to study abroad:

Ÿ Engineering, computer science and other technical fields Ÿ Business administration and economics (especially MBA programs in finance, marketing and international business) Ÿ English as a second language Ÿ Short-term certificate programs and/or summer programs (mostly in business ESL) Ÿ Social sciences, humanities and arts (mainly psychology, political sciences, architecture and law) Ÿ Mass communications (radio-TV, film & video production) Ÿ Medicine and other medical fields (for the most part, advanced level residencies)

Some Turkish parents also send their children abroad to study in reputable boarding school. There are hundreds of Turkish students studying at the Swiss and British schools. Turkish student representation at the U.S. boarding schools has also been increasing. In 2017, over 400 Turkish students pursued their studies at U.S. boarding schools.

Several Turkish universities have cooperation programs (such as dual diploma, language programs) with American universities, enabling their students to continue their education in the U.S. institutions. International students in Turkey Turkey offers new opportunities and facilities for foreign students and thus is a new center of attraction for foreign students. Some of opportunities that are the important initiatives that strengthen this process include Turkey , TURQUAS Project and Erasmus programs. The process which started around 16,000 in the beginning of 2000s is to continue with 125,000 students in 2018. is the country that sent most students with 13.92% due to migration. When we look at other countries, students from countries neighboring Turkey and cultural ties is seen as providing a high level. As of December 2018, there are 119 public and 67 private foundation universities serving five million students in various academic programs. 2017 figures show that 3.32 million students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 480,000 in master's programs, 91,000 in PhD, 23,000 in doctors in residency programs and 3.30 million in the Open University. Entrance into universities, especially to the top ones, is competitive due to the limited capacity of Turkish universities. Students need to successfully pass two nationwide placement tests. Every year an increasing number of students take the university exams. In 2016, 2,256,357 high school graduates took the exams and around 26% of these applicants were enrolled in a 4-year program, 20% in a 2-year program, and 11% to the Open University (distance education in the various subfields). The rest were unable to enter any higher education program. In Turkey, the Ministry of National Education is responsible for administering all educational services in the country, excluding higher education. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) is a 22-member corporate public body responsible for the planning, coordination and supervision of higher education.

Countries sending the most students in Turkey:

When examining the number of students according to levels, most students were determined to make the undergraduate level, which indicates that each student spent at least 4 years in Turkey. According to the 2016/17 year of data, the most international students in Turkey are studying at , and University. These universities are followed by Uludağ University in fourth place and in fifth place. When the 2018 data are examined, an increase in almost all universities in Turkey is observed. Considering most provinces where international students in Turkey, respectively, of the provinces of Istanbul, and Eskișehir is understood that. These provinces are followed by Gaziantep in the fourth and İzmir in the fifth. According to the data, university-based university preference, among thousands of university programs, medical (Health Sciences), law program and, computer engineering areas are the most preferred areas.

Sources: http://www.meb.gov.tr/index.php https://www.studyinturkey.com/content/sub/facts_about_international_students_in_turkey.aspx https://www.export.gov/article?id=Turkey-Education-Services http://studyinturkey.com https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/turkey

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