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“an educational development which runs counter to the wisdom and experience of all the
centuries of Christendom. 1 .
Although, for outsiders, Turkish history falsely look more conservative towards education, but in
particularly women’s education, one can find out that ruling elite had much more liberal attitude so
far as girls education concerned as early as in 1840’s.
In 1845, the reformist Sultan Abdulmecid paid a visit to the Sublime Porte (Babiali), where the
government located and in a speech, he bitterly criticized his ministers saying that since the
promulgation of the Tanzimat decree, nothing much had been done other than in the field of
military. He ordered immediate action to implement new reforms. Senior bureaucrats formed a
Temporary Council of Public Education (Muvakkat Meclis‐i Maarif) to study the available options and
act without wasting time.
The Temporary Council started its work by requesting a detailed list of current school students
from the Ministry of Pious Foundations (Evkaf‐i Hümayun Nezareti) 2 . The Council added that in case
the list did not exist, one should be prepared urgently. By July, it had completed its report, which
recommended the establishment of a three‐tier system of public education 3 . The existing primary
schools, the first tier, required an improvement in their conditions, and the formulation of a set of
regulations in this respect. The existing public secondary schools (Mekatib‐i Rüshdiye), forming the
second tier, needed reorganisation, and a reform of the compulsory religious element in the
curriculum. The third tier would be formed by an entirely new higher‐level institution in the capital,
to be called the Darülfünun (University). All persons seeking employment, as civil servants, should be
required to attend the Darülfünun, which was envisaged as a residential institution. Finally, a
permanent Council of Public Education (Meclis‐i Maarif‐i Umumiye) should be set up to implement
these proposals and control public education.
Wealthy families employed private tutors for their children. Daughters of the social elite and highlevel
civil servants received private tutoring. The tutors were foreign nationals especially towards the
end of the Tanzimat period. Students studied foreign languages, particularly French, and the fine arts
such as music. The following are examples of women raised with such a special education: Ahmed
Cevdet Pasha’s daughters Fatma Aliye and Emine Semiye; Sakizli Ismail Pasha’s (he served as Director
at the Medical School, the Tibbiye, Minister of Trade and in 1855, became a member of the Meclis‐i
Vala (the Supreme Council of Judicial Ordinances)) daughter Leyla Saz, and Mustafa Efendi’s (from
the ulama class) daughter Ayshe Sidika Hanim. She was a teacher at the Darülmuallimat and she is
the author of the book called Usul‐i Talim ve Terbiye Dersleri (Lessons on the Methodology of
Teaching and Moral Education) 4 . Girls were also trained in various professions such as midwifery
(ebelik). The first lessons in midwifery were given as part of the curriculum at the Medical School
(Mekteb‐i Tibbiye) in 1843 5 . Later, two female tutors were invited from Europe, as male instructors
were considered inappropriate. In 1845, 10 Muslims and 36 Christians were examined at the end of
the course and awarded certificates as professional midwifes 6 .
Furthermore, the French historian and travel writer Ubicini estimated the number of students
attending primary schools in the middle of 1840’s as follows:
… 22,700 students male and female attended 396 elementary schools in Istanbul.
These 396 schools were equally distributed in the 14 districts of the capita.l 7 .
In April 1848, the Darulmaarif was opened with an official ceremony. And. “On the day of the
opening, Abdülmecid Khan entered the school holding the hands of Shehzade (Crown Prince) Murad
Efendi and Fatma Sultan. He came near Kemal Efendi 8 who was standing in respect at the school
door, among the cabinet ministers to receive the Sultan.
It is said that Sultan Abdülmecid took his children Shehzade Murad Efendi and his daughter Fatma
Sultan to the Darülmaarif, brought them to the Director of Public Schools Kemal Efendi and said,
‐‐ Kiss the Efendi’s hand! From now on, he is your teacher...