Discrimination

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Discrimination in Turkey’s Education System 75 minority schools, and to obtain materials from other countries if necessary; experts from minority groups should be employed in this unit, and special temporary measures should be taken to ensure this if necessary. The limitations in the law regarding the registration of students who are not citizens of the Republic of Turkey or members of the relevant minority group should be removed for all minority schools, and the administrations of minority schools should also be given the authority to make decisions on student registration, as is the case for state schools and private schools. b. Demands for mother tongue-based multilingual education The right to receive mother tongue education for all groups in Turkey, regardless of the size and location of the population, should be guaranteed by the Constitution, and the limitations in article 42 of the Constitution should be lifted. The transition to mother tongue education should be ensured in places where there is such a demand. The possibility of using different models of mother tongue education (particularly the mother tongue-based multilingual education model) should be secured, and an appropriate model should be implemented based on differences in regions, provinces, districts and demand. The necessary legislation should be drawn up for communities who want to establish and run their own educational institutions; measures should be taken to ensure that those wanting to enjoy this right are not faced with bureaucratic obstacles or arbitrary treatment. Units should be established in education faculties to train teachers who will work in the mother tongue-based multilingual education system, and existing education faculties should be reformed according to the new system. Autonomous units should be established to develop the textbooks and materials for the teaching of mother tongues and for lessons that will be taught in the mother tongue; experts from the communities who speak the language of instruction should be employed in these units, which should be financed by the state. B. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION/ BELIEF: iii. Compulsory Religious Culture and Morals course The RCaM course should be removed from the curriculum, and otherwise redesigned as an objective, pluralistic and critical ‘education about religions’ course; its status should be changed to that of an elective course and it should be taken only by students who choose to study this subject; students who do not choose this subject should be offered the opportunity to choose alternative electives. Questions related to the RCaM course should no longer be included in TEOG placement exams. iv. Elective Christianity/Judaism courses In the case of lessons on religions such as Christianity and Judaism being added to the curriculum as elective courses, units should be established in theology faculties or other faculties to train teachers for these courses; until such units are established it should be ensured that these courses are taught by qualified teachers determined by the faith group in question. The textbooks used in these courses should be prepared by a specialist team that includes individuals and/or institutions from the faith group in question. v. Elective courses: The Holy Qur’an, The Life of the Prophet Muhammad, Fundamental Religious Knowledge Regulations in schools regarding the elective courses The Holy Qur’an, The Life of the Prophet Muhammad, and Fundamental Religious Knowledge should be drawn up taking into consideration the fact that the school also has students who are not Muslim or who have not chosen to take these courses. The practice of compelling students to take these courses despite not having chosen to do so
76 Discrimination in Turkey’s Education System should be brought to an end, and legal proceedings should be brought against school administrators who carry out such practices. vi. Provision of places of worship in schools Prayer rooms in schools should only be provided where there is a demand, and changes should be made to the relevant regulations to ensure this. All beliefs should be given equal treatment, and, in case of demand, prayer rooms for members of all religions and beliefs should be provided. At schools that provide prayer rooms, no pressure should be put on students who do not use these spaces, and legal proceedings should be brought against school administrators who put pressure on students or discriminate against them for not using them. Prayer rooms should not be used as a space for RCaM lessons or other lessons with religious content. vi. İmam hatip religious schools The number of imam hatip high schools should only be increased where there is a need and demand; for example, the residents of areas in which there are plans to establish such a school should be asked whether or not they want an imam hatip high school in their neighbourhoods, and such plans should take into account the beliefs and preferences of local residents. Students who do not choose to study at imam hatip high schools, particularly non-Muslim students, should no longer be placed in these schools. Positive measures should be taken to end the violation of the principle of equality of opportunities in education caused by the placement of poor and disadvantaged students in imam hatip high schools due to the low scores they achieve on the TEOG exams. vii. Discrimination and harassment for reasons of religion/belief There should be a clear legal prohibition of discriminatory treatment at schools, including harassment, based on students’ beliefs. In-service training should be given to teachers and school administrators to raise awareness about discrimination based on religion and belief; classroom activities should be carried out to raise students’ awareness on the issue and such topics should be made part of the curriculum. C. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON COLOUR OR ETHNIC ORIGIN viii. School registration, registration fees and donations Until the disparity between schools in neighbourhoods populated by disadvantaged groups and other schools is resolved, special measures should be applied and extra resources set aside for schools in areas populated by disadvantaged groups with the aim of resolving this disparity. ix. Segregation The placing of students in a separate class or row due to their ethnic origin or colour should be clearly prohibited; legal proceedings should be brought against teachers and school administrators who do not observe this prohibition. Action should be taken to prevent only Roma students from registering at schools in neighbourhoods where members of the Roma community live together with groups of other identities, and the necessary measures should be taken to ensure that such schools have a mixed student profile. x. Registration in special education institutions Students should only be sent to Guidance and Research Centres (GRC) under specific conditions; students whose mother tongue is a language other than Turkish who are sent to a GRC should be accompanied by a relative who knows their mother tongue; Roma students who are sent to a GRC should be accompanied by an expert working on issues related to the Roma community. Legal action should be brought against all public officials and institutions playing a role in sending students to special education institutions with the aim of securing financial benefit; other neces-
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Discrimination

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