NURCAN KAYA is a jurist specializing in human rights, particularly mi- nority rights, equality and anti-discrimination, within KAYA DISCRIMINATION the framework of international human rights and Eu- N ropean Union law. She holds an LLM in international BASED ON COLOUR, ETHNIC ORIGIN, human rights law from the University of Essex, Unit- LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND BELIEF NURCA ed Kingdom, and has worked as an expert/researcher at the Human Rights Law Research Centre of Istanbul Bilgi University. Nurcan has also held the positions of Anti-Discrimination Law Officer, Turkey and Cyprus Co- IN Turkey’s ordinator at Minority Rights Group International (MRG) YSTEM YSTEM and Director of the Strategic Fund for Turkey at Global S EDUCATION SYSTEM Dialogue. She currently works for MRG as Turkey Coor- N dinator and is also a PhD candidate at the Goethe Uni- versity in Frankfurt. She has authored and co-authored articles and re- ports on topics including the rights of ethnic, religious UCATIO NURCAN KAYA and linguistic groups/minorities, internal displace- ED ment, anti-discrimination law, education in the moth- er tongue, minorities’ right to education and minority EY’S schools. K UR T N I N ATIO N DISCRIMI 9 789758 813780 DISCRIMINATION BASED ON COLOUR, ETHNIC ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND BELIEF IN Turkey’s EDUCATION SYSTEM NURCAN KAYA Mobilising Civil Society for Monitoring Equality in the Formal Education System in Turkey Project (Monitoring Equality in Education Project) Project Coordinators: Gülay Kayacan, Nurcan Kaya Project Assistant: Neslihan Yürük Project Advisory Committee: Gamze Sarışen, Gürel Tüzün, Işık Tüzün, Kenan Çayır, Ulaş Karan, Silva Kuyumcuyan, Yıldız Ayyıldız, Nejat Taştan Monitoring Discrimination in Education Network Members: Betül Dinçer (KAFFED Central Office), Muzaffer İris (MEZODER), Adnan Avcı Bucaklişi (Laz Institute), Hacı Sayın (Kurdish Institute of Istanbul), Alper Tolga Akkuş, Hüseyin Fırat Mavigök (Mersin Anti-Discrimination Platform), Zeynep Duygu Ulusoy, Elmas Arus (Zero Discrimination Association), Halit Keser, Hacer Foggo (ROMFO), Ali Neseboğlu (Mardin Eğitim-Sen), Turan Şallı (Edirne Roma Education Volunteers’ Association), Ali Kenanoğlu (Hubyar Sultan Alevi Cultural Association), Levon Demirci (Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association), Ali Öner (MAZLUMDER), Umut Şahin (Association of Protestant Churches), Tuma Çelik, Evgil Türker (Federation of Syriac Associations), Yakup Çardak, Alper Yağlıdere (Izmir Roma Culture Welfare and Solidarity Association), Talat Çetinkaya (Migration Foundation) Discrimination Based on Colour, Ethnic Origin, Language, Religion and Belief in Turkey’s Education System Author: Nurcan Kaya Editor: Gülay Kayacan Proofreading: Nihal Boztekin English translation: Kate Ferguson Proofreading (English text): Mark Wyers Cover Image: Kemal Gökhan Gürses Graphic Design Aysel Kazıcı Özalp (ŞemalMedya) Printing: G.M. Matbaacılık ve Tic. A.Ş. © Tarih Vakfı, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) 2015 Sarıdemir Mah. Ragıp Gümüş Pala Cad. Zindankapı Değirmen Sok. No: 10 Eminönü, Fatih, Istanbul Tel: 0212 522 02 02- Fax: 0212 513 54 00 www.tarihvakfi.org.tr First Edition: Istanbul, 2015 ISBN 978-975-8813-78-0 The Monitoring Equality in Education Project was run by Minority Rights Group International (MRG) in partnership with the History Foundation of Turkey, with financial support from the Delegation of the EU to Turkey. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and under no circumstances can be regarded as reflecting the views of the Delegation of the EU to Turkey. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON COLOUR, ETHNIC ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND BELIEF IN Turkey’s EDUCATION SYSTEM NURCAN KAYA We would like to thank all the individuals, organizations and institutions that contributed to the preparation of this report, particularly the members of the Monitoring Discrimination in Education Network who worked with us tirelessly on this project, the academic institutions and non-governmental organizations that participated in the network as observers and shared their reflections with us, the members of the project’s advisory committee, and all the interviewees and institutional representatives who met with us and ledgements offered us their full trust, opening up their hearts and having the courage to share their stories. We would also like to thank the Migration Foundation for W all their help during our visit to the Ferzad Kemanger school in Diyarbakır, NO the Yenişehir Municipality, Turan Şallı for his help with our visit to Roma K neighbourhoods in Edirne, Gürel Tüzün for reading over the report, Kemal C Gökhan Gürses for producing the image used for the book’s cover, the A project team from Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the History Foundation, and the delegation of the EU to Turkey which provided financial support for the project. This report is a translation of a publication, Türkiye Eğitim Sisteminde Renk, Etnik Köken, Dil, Din ve İnanç Temelli Ayrımcılık, originally published in Turkish in September 2015. Abbreviations CEP: Catch-Up Education Programme CERD: International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination CESCR: Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights CRC: Convention on the Rights of the Child ECHR: European Convention on Human Rights ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance bbreviations ECRML: European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages A ECtHR: European Court of Human Rights Eğitim-Sen: Education and Science Workers’ Union ERI: Education Reform Initiative EU: European Union FCNM: Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities GRC: Guidance and Research Centres HRC: Human Rights Committee ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IEP: Individual Education Programme KAFFED: Federation of Caucasian Associations MEZODER: Mesopotamia Culture and Solidarity Association MoNE: Ministry of National Education MRG: Minority Rights Group International NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation OI: Ombudsman Institution OSCE: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe PACE: Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe RCaM: Religious Culture and Morals ROMFO: Roma Rights Forum SAMER: Political and Social Research Centre TEOG: Transition from Basic Education to Secondary Education TurkStat: Turkish Statistical Institute UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights UN: United Nations UNDM: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... 4 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ 5 Foreword ....................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 10 CONTENTS I. International Standards – Turkey’s Obligations ........................................................ 13 A. The Right to Education .............................................................................................. 13 B. Prohibition of Discrimination ................................................................................... 18 II. The Aim of Education, Curriculum and Textbooks ................................................... 20 A. The Aim of Turkish ‘National’ Education .................................................................. 20 B. Curriculum ................................................................................................................ 21 C. Textbooks .................................................................................................................. 22 III. Forms of Discrimination/Discriminatory Practices in Turkey’s Education System ....................................................................................... 24 A. Language-Based Discrimination: .............................................................................. 24 i. The Right to Learn One’s Mother Tongue/Elective Language Courses ................................. 24 ii. The Right to Mother Tongue Education – Mother Tongue- Based Multilingual Education ................................................................................................ 31 B. Discrimination Based on Religion/Belief: ................................................................. 44 iii. Compulsory Religious Culture and Morals Course ............................................................ 44 iv. Elective Christianity/Judaism Courses ............................................................................... 54 v. Elective Courses: The Holy Qur’an, The Life of the Prophet Muhammad, Fundamental Religious Knowledge ....................................................................................... 55 vi. Provision of Places of Worship in Schools ......................................................................... 57 vii. İmam Hatip Religious Schools ......................................................................................... 58 viii. Discrimination and Harassment for Reasons of Religion/Belief ..................................... 60 C. Discrimination Based