The Turkish Education System was built in accordance with the Atatrk Reforms after the Turkish War

of Independence. It is a state supervised system designed to produce a skillful professional class for the social and economic institutes of the nation. Turkish system mandates 8 years of primary education between the ages of 7 and 14, and in 2001 enrollment of children in this age range was nearly 100%. For 14-18 year olds three or more years of secondary education are available in public, distance-learning, and vocational high schools. About 95% of students attend public schools, but inadequacies of the public system increasingly motivate middle-class parents to seek private education. In 2001 some 1,273 institutions of higher learning were in operation. Except for the Open Education Faculty (Turkish: Akretim Fakltesi) at Anadolu University, entrance is regulated by a national examination, SS, after which high school graduates are assigned to the limited university space available, according to their performance. Annually, about 1.5 million students graduate from Turkish high schools. In 2002, the total expenditure on education in Turkey amounted to $13.4 billion, including the state budget allocated through the National Ministry of Education and private and international funds. High school High school lasts 4 years, with some high schools having an additional year of preparatory classes in a foreign language. The different kinds of high schools of the Turkish education system include: Public High Schools, the standard type; Anatolian High Schools which provide more lessons in a selected foreign language (English, German or French); Anatolian Imam-Hatip High Schools which have a same curriculum as Anatolian High Schools with lessons about religion; Science High Schools focusing on science education; Vocational High Schools, which focus on a certain type of profession (such as Tourism Vocational High Schools, Industrial Vocational High Schools, and Electrical Vocational High Schools; Imam-Hatip High Schools, different type of general

high school with lessons about religion; and finally, Private High Schools, which are established by private enterprises. There are 7934 High Schools in Turkey as of 2007 The lessons taught in high schools' 9th and 10th grades are:

Turkish Language Turkish literature Mathematics Physics Chemistry Biology Geometry Turkish History Geography English language Second Foreign Language (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Russian languages) National Security Health Studies Electives Profession Lessons (only in Vocational High Schools) Courses on Religion (only in Anatolian Imam-Hatip High Schools and ImamHatip High Schools)

When students complete the 9th grade, they choose one of four tracks: Turkish language Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, and Languages. In Vocational High Schools no tracks are offered, while in Science High Schools only the Science tracks is offered. At the end of high school, following the 12th grade, students take a High School Finishing Examination and they are required to pass this in order to take the SS and

continue their studies at a university. Exam scores are weighted to provide students in each track with different opportunities when entering higher education, as follows:

Turkish languageMathematics: International Relations, Law, Education, Psychology, Economy, Business Management, and the like. Science: Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, and other Science related professions. Social Sciences: History, Geography, and Education. Languages: Language/Linguistics and language teaching.

Universities The former Robert College building on South Campus of Boazii niversitesi, Istanbul After the national university entrance examination SS (Turkish: renci Seme Snav) organized by SYM, if they succeed, students continue with their studies at a university. Universities provide either two or four years of education for undergraduate studies whereas for graduate studies, a further two years are necessary, as is typical throughout the world. There are around 820 higher education institutions including universities with a total student enrollment of over 1 million. Major universities are located in Istanbul and Ankara. Tertiary education is the responsibility of the Higher Education Council, and funding is provided by the state for public institutions that make up the bulk of the tertiary education system. There are 118 universities in Turkey, which are classified as either public or foundational (private) and 373,353 students were graduated from these universities in 2006. Public universities typically charge very low fees and foundational are highly expensive with fees that can reach $15,000 per annum, and as such, a majority of students in tertiary education attend public institutions. Since 1998, universities have been given greater autonomy and were encouraged to raise funds through partnerships with industry. The quality of education at the Turkish universities varies greatly, some providing education and facilities on par with internationally renowned schools (for the technical

universities, often compared with the universities in the United States, as there are several Turkish universities regularly visited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs, and their engineering programs deemed substantially equivalent to comparable programs at the U.S. universities), and these reflect as the popularity of a university in students' choices at the SS examination. University studies last between 2 and 4 years for the undergraduate level, and 2 or more years for the graduate level. Some universities also ask for an additional year of English preparatory study to be completed before the start of studies, unless a proficiency examination is passed. Turkish universities actively participate in the Socrates - Erasmus program of the European Commission, aiming to increase student and academician mobility within the European Union, the European Economic Area countries, and other EU candidate states. An increasing number of Turkish university students complete a part of their studies abroad at other participating countries' universities, and Turkish universities receive students of the same status from abroad. With the passage of law 2547, the rectors of all the public universities are appointed jointly by the faculty, Higher Education Council and the President of Turkey.[4] The current president, Abdullah Gl, has suggested that the system might be changed to eliminate the Higher Education Council and political influence. Research The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TBTAK) coordinates basic and applied research and development, acting on proposed policies by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TBA). There are more than 60 research institutes and organizations. Turkey's R&D strengths include agriculture, forestry, health, biotechnology, nuclear technologies, minerals, materials, IT, and defense.

Religious courses De-establishment In 1927, all courses concerning religion were excluded from the curriculum of primary, secondary, and high schools on the basis that non-Muslims also live in Turkey. Between the years 1927-1949, no religious instruction was permitted in schools. The negative consequences of this educational policy began to catch the attention of statesmen and politicians by the time of World War II. For the first time, in 1949, and after nearly a quarter of a century, the Ministry of Education allowed a course on religion in 4th and 5th grades of primary school. The course was optional, depending upon a written request from parents, and it was taught outside the regular hours. The public response in favor of this initiative was overwhelming. Less than 1% of the students opted out of the course. Re-establishment In 1956, as a result of multi-party democracy, a new government was established. Being more sympathetic towards the religious sentiments of society, this new government introduced a religion course into secondary schools. This time, if the parents wanted to exempt their children from the course, they had to apply to the school with a written request. After nearly ten years, in 1967, the religion course was introduced to the 1st and 2nd grades of high school. Students, however, were enrolled for the course with the written request of their parents. In 1975, the course was extended to the third (last) grade of the high schools. And, finally, following the military coup in 1980, the religion course became obligatory for all secondary level schools. The status of the religion course in public schools was also constitutionally secured. The exact title of the course was, "The Culture of Religion and Knowledge of Ethics." In 1985, the Institute for Creation Research, a United States creationist group, helped advice Turkeys education minister Vehbi Dinerler to introduce creationism in high schools.

Currently, religious education courses begin at the 4th grade of primary school and continue throughout secondary and high schools. From the 4th to the 8th grade, classes consist of two hours per week. At the high school level, there is one hour of class per week Thus, a student who has graduated from high school receives 8 continuous years of religion courses. There are no fixed books for the course. Rather, each school decides which book to followprovided that the book for each level is approved by the Ministry of Education. Nearly half of the content of these courses concerns religion and Islam (whom majority are Muslims) with remaining topics ranging from secularism to humanism and from ethical values to etiquette. The major world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism are included in the content of the course.

INSTITUTION TYPES & CREDENTIALS

Types of higher education institutions:

University (Technical University) (Vocational Schools) (Institute) (Higher Institute of Technology)

STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

Pre-higher education:

Duration of compulsory education: Age of entry: 6 Age of exit: 13 Structure of school system: Basic Type of school providing this education: Basic Education School

Length of program in years: 8 Age level from: 6 to: 14 Certificate/diploma awarded: (Basic Education Diploma) Secondary Type of school providing this education: Genel Lise, Meslek Lisesi, Teknik Lise (General, Vocational and Technical High Schools) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 14 to: 17 Certificate/diploma awarded: Lise Diplomasi School education: The age of entry to school is six or seven. Since 1997, secondary education follows eight years of basic education and covers general, vocational and technical high schools that provide three or four years of education. General high schools do not prepare students for a specific profession but rather for higher education. The following institutions are considered to fall within general secondary education: high schools; high schools with intensive foreign language teaching; Anatolian high schools where a foreign language English, French or German - is taught during the preparatory year and the teaching of certain subjects is provided in that language in upper grades; science high schools; teacher training high schools; Anatolian fine arts schools; multi-curricula high schools; evening high schools; and private high schools. In general high schools, the average number of weekly periods of teaching in each grade varies from a minimum of 33 to a maximum of 41. In their second year, students in high schools where the general programme is applied may choose to attend branches which specialize in the natural sciences, literature and mathematics, the social sciences, foreign languages, art or physical education. Vocational high schools provide three-year secondary education, train qualified people for various professions and also prepare students for higher education. Technical high schools offer a four-year programme. Subjects offered in the first year are the same as in the vocational high schools. Secondary education students obtain the Lise Diplomasi which is the prerequisite for entry to higher education.

Admission to university is centralized and based on the Student Selection Examination (SS). As of June 2003, candidates have to obtain a minimum of 160,000 points (previously 105,000 points) to be eligible to enroll in two-year vocational higher education and open/distance education programmes and a minimum of 185,000 points (previously 120,000 points) for all four-year undergraduate programmes in the Student Selection Examination (SS). 185,000 and 160,000 points respectively correspond to 120 and 105 of the previous SS score types. The maximum SS score will be 300 as from 2003. Higher education: Higher education is provided by 53 state universities, including 2 higher institutes of technology, and 24 foundations (private universities). The supreme authority for the regulation of higher education is the Council of Higher Education (YK), which is a fully autonomous national board of trustees without any political or government affiliation. The Interuniversity Council consists of the rectors of all the universities and one member elected by the Senate of each university. Universities, faculties, institutes and four-year schools are founded by law, while the two-year vocational schools, departments and divisions are established by the Council of Higher Education. The foundation universities are under the supervision of the Council of Higher Education and their programmes must be regularly accredited. In the universities, the medium of instruction is Turkish. Some universities use English, French and German as the language of instruction with one preparatory year.
Main laws/decrees governing higher education:

Decree: Law No. 1739 on National Education Year: 1973 Decree: Law No. 2547 on Higher Education Year: 1984 Concerns: Foundation universities Decree: Law No. 2547 on Higher Education Year: 1981 Decree: Law No. 4306 on National Education Year: 1997 Decree: Law No. 4702 on access to the two-year higher education programmes without university entrance examination for vocational/technical high school graduates Year:

2001 Decree: Law No. 625 on Private Education Year: 1995

Academic year:

Classes from: Oct to: Jun Languages of instruction: English, French, German, Turkish Stages of studies: Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type): Non-university level: There are no non-university level post-secondary studies in the Turkish higher education system. Higher technical and vocational post-secondary studies last for four years in higher schools and for two years in vocational higher schools affiliated to the universities. They offer vocational training in various professions and confer an nlisans Diploma following completion of two-year university studies and a Lisans Diploma on completion of four-year university studies. University level studies: University level first stage: nlisans Diplomasi/Lisans Diplomasi: An nlisans Derecesi or Diplomasi (Associate Degree) is awarded after the successful completion of two-year university studies. Courses leading to the Lisans Diplomasi require a minimum of four years' university study. Courses last for five years in Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine and for six years in Medicine. In Veterinary Medicine, the professional qualification of Veteriner Hekim Diplomasi is conferred. In Dentistry, the Dis Hekimligi Diplomasi is conferred upon the completion of five years' study. In Medicine, the professional qualification of Tip Doktorlugu Diplomasi is conferred. The graduates of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry can directly apply to PhD/Doctorate programmes in Turkey. The qualifications in these three fields

of study are considered to be the equivalent of a Yuksek Lisans Diplomasi (Master's degree). University level second stage: Yksek Lisans Diplomasi/Bilim Uzmanligi Diplomasi: The Yksek Lisans Diplomasi (Master's Degree) lasts for two years with thesis and for one-and-a-half years without thesis. University level third stage: Doktora Diplomasi/Bilim Doktorlugu Diplomasi/Tipta Uzmanlik Belgesi/Sanatta Yeterlik Diplomasi: Candidates must hold the Yksek Lisans Diplomasi and sit for an examination. The Doktora Diplomasi is conferred after two years' study and on completion of a doctoral thesis (a total of four years). The Tipta Uzmanlik Belgesi (specialist degree) in Medicine is conferred to recognize a physician's advanced skills and expertise. It is considered to be the equivalent of a Doktora Diplomasi.

Teacher education: Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers Primary school teachers are trained in universities where they must obtain a Lisans Diplomasi. Training of secondary school teachers Secondary school teachers are trained in universities where they must obtain a Lisans Diplomasi. Training of higher education teachers According to the Higher Education Law (art. 35), higher education institutions are responsible for the training of their own academic staff, both at home and abroad.

There are various criteria for the promotion of teaching staff members.

Non-traditional studies: Distance higher education Distance education is offered at the Open Education Faculty of Anadolu University. Entry is on a competitive basis through the central national university entrance examination (SS). Courses last for two and four years. Other forms of non-formal higher education Non-formal education is offered by a network of training centers supervised by the Ministry of National Education.

GRADING SYSTEM
Usual grading system in secondary school Full Description: 0-5. 5=excellent; 4= good; 3= satisfactory; 2 = passing; 1 = failing; 0= failing and not included in general calculation. Highest on scale: 5 Pass/fail level: 3/2 Lowest on scale: 1 Main grading system used by higher education institutions Full Description: Marking systems vary. Many universities use a 1-4, 1-5, 1-10 (maximum) or 1-10 (minimum) scale. Degrees are graded on a 50-100 scale: 85-100 pekiyi; 65-84 iyi; 50-64 orta; 50 geer; 0-49 gemez.

Highest on scale: 100 Lowest on scale: 50 Other main grading systems Some universities use single letters (A-F), others use double letters (AA-FF). Vote of jury examiners

Education System in Turkey

Schools
Pre-school Elementary High school University Foreign students University links

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, every citizen has the right to education which is free of charge for the compulsory primary education. Except in specially licensed and foreign institutions, Turkish must be taught as the mother tongue. The Ministry of National Education (MEB) runs educational administration of the country and is responsible for drawing up curricula, coordinating the work of official, private and voluntary organizations, designing and building schools, developing educational materials and so on. The Supreme Council of National Education discusses and decides on curricula and regulations prepared by the Ministry. In the provinces, educational affairs are organized by the Directorates of National Education appointed by the Minister, but working under the direction of the provincial governor. The central government is responsible for all educational expenses of the public, about 10% of the general budget is allocated for national education. The academic calendar generally begins in late September and extends through to early June, with some variations between urban and rural areas. The school days usually have a morning and an afternoon session, but in overcrowded schools there is a split session. Schools are in session for five days a week (Monday to Friday) in a total of 35-40 hours. There is a two week winter break in February. Universities usually organize the academic year into two semesters, usually between October - January and between February/March - June/July. The Turkish National Educational System is composed of two main sections: Formal Education and Non-formal Education.

Formal Education
Formal education is the regular education of individuals in a certain age group and given in schools. This includes Pre-Primary education, Primary education, Secondary education and Higher education institutions.

Pre-Primary education
Pre-Primary education is an optional education for children between 3-6 years of age who are under the age of compulsory primary education. The purpose of this education is to ensure physical, mental and sensory development of children and the acquisition of good habits, to prepare children for primary education, to create a common atmosphere of growth for those living in inconvenient circumstances and to ensure that Turkish is spoken correct and well. Pre-school education is given in kindergartens, daycare homes, nursery classes in primary schools, and in private nurseries, all under the supervision of the Ministry. They are usually concentrated in larger towns and cities.

Primary Education
With a new Law in 1997, eight years of Primary school is compulsory today (former system was five years of compulsory primary school, followed by three years of middle or junior high school education). Primary education is compulsory for all boys and girls at the age of 6, and is given free of charge in public schools. These schools provide eight years of uninterrupted education. There are also private (and paid) schools under State control. In most of the primary schools, foreign language lessons start from 4th class. Most elementary school students dress similarly in a type of uniform to avoid any social class differences between rich and poor students. If the children fails to pass the class, he/she has to repeat the same class next year. At the end of 8 years, successful students get their Diploma and can go for the Secondary education. The purpose of primary education is to ensure that every child acquires the basic knowledge, skills, behaviors, and habits to become a good citizen, is raised in line with the national moral concepts and is prepared for life and for the next education level parallel to his/her interests and skills.

Secondary Education
Secondary education covers general, vocational and technical high schools (Lycees, Lise in Turkish) that provide four years of education (used to be 3 years until 2005). General high schools prepare students for higher learning institutions. Some of the secondary schools and the private secondary schools have foreign language preparatory classes. This kind of private lycees have double language education (such as Italian High school, German High school, Austrian High school, French High school, and so on). Vocational and technical high schools provide specialized instruction with the aim of training qualified personnel. o Technical lycees include special formations such as electricity, electronics, chemistry, machinery, motors, building, etc.

Vocational lycees can be Industrial Vocational Lycees; Girls' Vocational Lycees (home economics etc.), Public Health Vocational Lycees, Commercial Vocational Lycees, Agricultural Vocational Lycees, Meteorology Vocational Lycees, Animal Husbandry Vocational Lycees, Land Registration and Cadastre Vocational Lycees, etc.

The purpose of secondary education is to give students a minimum common culture, to identify individual and social problems, to search for solutions, to raise awareness in order to contribute to the socio-economic and cultural development of the country and to prepare the students for higher education, for profession, for life and for business in line with their interests and skills. In addition to normal high schools, there are also evening high schools usually operating in the same school building. These are designed to allow those who take up employment after primary (or middle school) to continue their formal education. Most of the high schools are owned by the State and provide free educational opportunities. In order to provide equal opportunities for the children with limited finances, there are State high schools with boarding facilities. These schools are free of charge and the students are placed according to the results of an examination. Graduates of the high schools can attend universities if they can pass admission exams.

Higher Education
Turkish universities are Republican institutions, following Atatrk's principles. Universities, faculties, institutes, higher education schools, conservatories, vocational higher education schools, police and military academies and colleges, and application-research centers are considered as Higher Education institutions. Universities, faculties and institutes of four-year higher education schools are founded by Law, while the two-year vocational schools, departments and divisions are established by the Council of Higher Education (YK). Universities are under the supervision of this Council and their programmes must be regularly accredited. The Council of Higher Education is a fully autonomous national board of trustees without any political or government affiliation. Universities have their rectors, deans, senate, and administrative boards, as well as student councils. In the universities, the instruction is generally in Turkish. Some universities use English, French and German as the language of instruction with one preparatory year if necessary. After the high school, the graduates enter an one-stage examination (SS - Student Selection Examination) in order to be admitted to Higher Education institutions. This nation-wide centralized examination is administrated by the Student Selection and Placement Center (SYM) every year, which determines candidates for the enrollment of each university and faculty after evaluating the grades of related subjects, their high school average results and their preferences according to the student capacity of each faculty. Those with good grades are qualified for the four-year undergraduate programmes and at the end they can get a Bachelor's Degree (BA), those who have grades at the limit can be admitted to the two-year higher education programmes and at the end they can get an Associate's Degree (AA). Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine courses last for five years and Medicine for six years.

After a four-year faculty, one can go further for his/her Master's Degree which lasts for two years with thesis and non-thesis options. Access to doctoral programs requires a master's degree and have a duration of minimum four years with a doctoral thesis at the end. The graduates of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry can directly apply to PhD/Doctorate programmes. The purpose of higher education is to raise the students in line with their interests and skills, in conformance to the science policy of the country and in consideration of qualified manpower needs of society at several levels, to do researches in scientific areas, to arrange for all kinds of publications that show the research and examination results and facilitate advancement of science and technology, to finalize the researches and examinations demanded by the government and to make comments, to make written or oral public announcements explaining the scientific data that shall increase the general level of Turkish society and enlighten the public, and to give non-formal education. According to the Law, higher education institutions are responsible for the training of their own academic staff. Meanwhile, Primary and Secondary school teachers are trained in universities for 4 years and they get a BA degree at the end. The major source of income of state universities is the funds allocated through the annual State budget, this is equivalent of about 60% of the total university income. In addition to this, a university can generate its own income from the services provided by that university, such as patient care in university hospitals. Student contributions to state universities form only 4% of the total university budget. Meanwhile, the student fees in private foundation (Vakif) universities are much higher. At present, enrolment in the private universities accounts for only 5% of the total. Clearly, state universities are by far carrying the major portion of the load of higher education in Turkey.

Non-Formal Education
Non-formal education in Turkey is offered by a network of training centers who are supervised by the Ministry of National Education (MEB). Non-formal education services aim to teach readingwriting, help to continue education of students for finish their incomplete education, teach balanced nutrition and a healthy life style, teach people from various professions the knowledge and skills they need to improve themselves, and so on. There is also Distance Higher Education which is offered at the Open Education Faculty of Anadolu University. This program lasts for 2 or 4 years.

Foreign Students Admission

Foreign students would like to enroll in the post-graduate programs of the Turkish institutions of higher education can apply directly to universities and must have completed their secondary education in a high school in which the education is equivalent to that of a Turkish lycee; they need to have it confirmed from a Turkish Embassy in their country and apply for a student visa. The applications of foreign students will be considered by the universities within their limit of the allocated places for foreigners. The students must also take the Foreign Student Entrance Examination (YS) which consists of two tests; a "basic learning skills test" where they must

score at least 40, and a "Turkish language proficiency test" to see their Turkish language level, if any. Language courses are organized for those who do not speak Turkish, and in some Turkish universities courses are taught in English, French or German. Foreign students must take the Graduate Education Entrance Examination or an international examination (GRE, GMAT, SAT, etc.) required by each university, the equivalency of which is recognized by the concerning university senate. The evaluation of the results of these examinations is carried out by the concerning universities.
Source: Ministry of National Education (MEB), Council of Higher Education (YK), Columbia University

Turkish Education System...

After the change from the Ottoman to the Turkish Republic many reforms in education were made. As in Ottomans the Ottoman language was difficult, the alphabet was the Arabic one which is very difficult to learn, the literacy ratio was very low and the religion education was the major subject many radical changes has been made. Some important ones were secularization and change of alphabet. Education has been made a top priority of national development. It has the largest budget of any ministry with an allocation of over 22% of the national budget. The aim of the Turkish educational system is to nurture productive, happy individuals with broad views on world affairs who will unite in national consciousness and thinking to form an inseparable state, and will contribute to the prosperity of society through their skills. This is thought to be instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and distinguished member of the modern world. Some Numbers Education :Compulsory for 8 years (recently decreed) Literacy Rate :Total 82 %, Male 89%, Female 69 % Primary Schools: High Schools: Universities :

Nursery Schools

Apart from the general educational system, pre-school training is available on a private basis or with public sector facilities. However, this level of education is not yet common and is limited to about 5-10 % of Turkish pre-school children. Mostly the families in big cities and working mothers do prefer to send their children to Nursery schools. The children basically start around four years age and learn games, theater, painting, manners, songs, etc.

Primary Schools
Primary School which is compulsory for 8 years, start at the age of 7 generally but, depending on the physical development of children, it can also be 6. The national attendance at primary schools is about 96%. In some rural areas parents cannot physically manage to get their children to school as they live far from towns on mountains. A special feature of primary schools is that one teacher takes care of all the students in one class, from the first grade and continues with those children for eight years until they finish their compulsory education. The school age population of Turkey is very large and often school buildings and teachers are insufficient to cope. This results in two sessions of school, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This helps to explain why so many children are seen in the streets during weekdays. The average number of students in each classroom is 20 to 40, but in some rural areas, where there are not enough teachers, even more students have to fit into the same classroom. All over the country, in each classroom above the blackboard, a portrait of Ataturk is hung. On one side you will see his speech to the Turkish Youth and on the other, the National Anthem. As Atatrk is very important for the Turkish people the principles of him are told to children from that age on. There are no fees for public education until college or university. Students attend school in uniforms which are usually blue or very occasionally black for public schools. The uniforms of private schools are generally more colorful and with ornament. Parents have to buy uniforms, pens, pencils and notebooks. At the beginning of the week on Monday mornings and at the end of the week during Friday afternoons, flag ceremonies are held with all the teachers and students present in the courtyard or playground of each school. Each morning, primary school students pledge in chorus to be honest and studious, to protect the young and respect the old, to love their country more than themselves. The general studies are about Turkish, Foreign Language, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Literature, Religion, Geography, History, etc

After they finish Primary school they take an examination which is effecting the Secondary and Lyceum education.

High Schools (Lyceum)

This consists of High School (Lyceum), which normally takes 3 years. In these schools, the system of one teacher for each class changes to a specialist teacher for each subject. Students can choose one foreign language from English, French or German. Religious Education lessons, depending on the present governments policy, is often optional, and is actually a comparative study of religions rather than only of Islam. The aims of these schools are to secure a level of general knowledge, develop an awareness of individual and community problems and to contribute to the economic, social and cultural growth of the country as well as preparing students for higher education. Anatolian, Science, Fine Arts, Vocational, Technical, Islamic Theological and Private High Schools are different from the general High Schools, but are still a part of the Secondary Education system. The Anatolian, Science and Private High Schools are the best and consequently most popular. In these schools there is an extra year (prep class) at the beginning to teach one foreign language and in the following years, all science lessons are taught in that foreign language. Students in High Schools must wear uniforms. The education at this level is free of charge except at the private schools where an average fee is about 4,000 US Dollars per year. Students show respect for their teachers by addressing them "sir" or "teacher", or by standing up as a class when a teacher enters the classroom.

Universities
This consists of universities of two and four years, schools of further education which are all affiliated to an autonomous Higher Education Council. There are a total number of 60 universities excluding the private universities. Students are admitted to universities through a examination held once a year. In order to obtain a good future, students want to study in good departments at good universities. This is why they start studying for the entrance exams as much as two years in advance, generally taking private courses as well. The students need to get at least 105 points to have a chance. After the results students need to make their selections and after, the YOK (High Education Council) place the students

starting from the highest points got. As there are more applications than quotas in Universities not everyone could get placed. Generally speaking 1/3 of the students could continue to the university. The others, in case they can afford it continue to the private universities, start working, wait one more year or attend the military service (for man) . Unlike the earlier educational levels, students have to pay a fee of approximately 100-350 US Dollars per year at public higher education facilities. After four years of study they may also continue to do masters for one or two years. This is also with an examination and costs a little more.

Evaluation of teachers for restructured elementary curriculum Elementary school curriculum in Turkish Education System has been changed several times in the republic era. After establishment of Republic of Turkey in 1923, elementary school curriculum was restructured in 1924, 1926, 1936, 1948, 1962 and 1968 (Tazebay, 2000). From 1923 to 1997 compulsory education in Turkey was five years. However, in 1997 The Minister of National Education (MONE) made a radical decision to increase compulsory education to eight years. Therefore, the primary school curriculum and the middle school curriculum were combined in the elementary school system. However, at that time those curricula were not revised and restructured. In order to unify and integrate elementary school curriculum, new elementary school curriculum (grades 1-5) was developed and introduced as a pilot study in the 2004-2005 academic year in some regions of Turkey. As a result of it, in 2005-2006 academic year the reconstructed elementary curriculum (grades 1-5) was introduced in the Turkish elementary schools. What is the reason behind curriculum innovation in Turkish Primary School System? Implementations of educational activities and school policies had been criticized in terms of test results and level of students' academic knowledge and thinking skills. Educational equity is not likely without a range of opportunities for conception and representation, opportunities that are wide enough to satisfy the diversity of talents of those who come to school (Eisner, 1994). Particularly failures of Turkish students in norm-referenced tests in national and international level were criticized. For example, according to 2003 PISA results Turkish students score were second lowest level. These results were interpreted in the way that Turkish school systems should be revised philosophically and psychologically. Students were learning based on retention instead of thinking and experiencing. In fact, The Turkish Ministry of National Education (MONE) took a radical decision to reshape curriculums rooted in constructivism and active learning. The principles of constructivist pedagogy are listed: (1) posing problems of emerging relevance to learners; (2) structuring learning around "big ideas" or primary concepts; (3) seeking and valuing students' points of view;

(4) adapting curriculum to address students' suppositions; (5) assessing student learning in the context of teaching (Brooks & Brooks, 1993). On the other hand, active learning is defined to aim that is made more concrete and manageable by focusing on five student potentials that teachers have the power to influence and that directly contribute to school success. These five student abilities are dignity, energy, self-management, community, and awareness (Harmin & Toth, 2006). Psychological foundations of the new elementary curriculum are cognitivism, constructivism, and active learning. Therefore, new curriculum is regarded as a learnedcentered curriculum. The following table summarizes the differences between the excurriculum and the new one. Teachers are the most obvious professionals who should assume evaluation roles. Teachers should be involved in cooperative curriculum work, and they should have partial responsibility for program evaluation. There are many views and procedures to evaluate the effectiveness of any curriculum. One of them is formative and summative curriculum evaluation approach. While formative evaluation often uses informal methods and frequently focuses on processes, summative evaluation uses more formal means of gathering data for analysis. Surveys given to assess teachers' reactions to the new curriculum will formally be prepared (Ornstein & Hunkins, 1993).

Method
In order to collect data for this study, a questionnaire consisted of open-ended questions related to courses was developed and administered to 210 teachers in June 2007 because the school year ends in the middle of June in Turkey. The teachers were asked to write their opinions about the implementation of each subject's curriculum. It was pointed out that the open-ended format of the questionnaire calls for a free response in the participants' own words. It also provides for a greater depth response. The respondents revealed their frame of reference and possibly the reasons for their responses (Best & Kahn, 1989). A total of 210 elementary school teachers participated in this research. The teachers taught in different grades from 1 to 5 in 2006-2007 school year. After collecting teachers' responses about the implementation of the new curriculum, all views were grouped to analyze in pros and cons for the new curriculums.

Results
The introduction of the national curriculum for 1-5 grades and its associated testing arrangements caused a lot of anxiety, confusion and eventual antagonism on the part of teachers. Teachers' points of view about the new curriculum were explained for each subject as following.

Reading and Writing: Reading and Writing is a first grade course to teach students how to read and write. Since 1968 holistic approach had been used for reading and writing in Turkish Primary School System. However, phonetic approach for reading and writing began in the new curriculum. This application was discussed among educators and teachers. In this study, 44 first grade teachers expressed that phonetic approach helps students to read in a shorter time. Students also could write finely and smoothly. However, the teachers pointed out that students had some difficulties in understanding and meaningful learning when they read. In fact, the teachers thought that phonetic approach Turkish Language: Turkish Language is a core course in the new curriculum for each grade. All of the 210 teachers in this study indicated that curriculums of Turkish Language 1-5 grades were designed to develop students' meaningful learning. Contexts were prepared to relate to students' life, interests, and needs. Learning activities were prepared to facilitate students' active participation. Students are challenged to make critical decisions and think in the teaching and learning atmosphere. Students who participated in classroom discussions used the following phrases.
In my opinion, I like this part of the story, I do not like this part of the story, I would like to change this part of the story, If I were the author, I would like to begin the story like this, If I were the author, I would like to end the story like that.

On the other hand, students have opportunity to learn the Turkish Language grammar implicitly. In fact, they are not bored to learn the rules and grammar of language. Textbooks were paid attention and made students' learning enjoyable. Some of the teachers (84) in this study indicated negative points of the new curriculum. One of them is that contents in the books were too long for some students to lead to meaningful understanding. Besides that, books did not have enough poems, languagetwisters, rhymes, and riddles. The teachers did not criticize the new curriculum but preparation of textbooks.

Mathematics:
Mathematics is a main course for each grade. Learning mathematics has always challenged Turkish students. Most students have hard time to acquire mathematical skills in their school experiences. Mathematics curriculum was designed "less concepts and more in depth". The teachers (210) in this study thought that learning less concepts but studying in depth helps students understand mathematical reasoning and learn permanently. On the other hand, activities in textbooks foster students' learning through active participation. Problems are designed to integrate students' daily life. So they enjoy during the process of solving problems.

Some of the teachers (54) in this study expressed that the new curriculum lacks main concepts and practices. Those teachers could not distinguish between "less vs more" policy in curriculum development. Therefore, the teachers have doubts about students' intellectual development through the new curriculum.

Knowledge of Life:
Knowledge of Life is a course for 1-3 grades. Contents in the course were designed as units in the ex-curriculum. However, contents of the new curriculum are organized according to thematic approach. In this way, students have opportunity to see a big question and understand a whole picture. A total of 125 first, second and third grade teachers in this study shared their opinions about the curriculum of knowledge of life. The teachers expressed that contents were designed student-centered instead of teachercentered. So students are motivated to participate actively in teaching and learning by doing. Since the role of teachers in this curriculum is facilitator, students in learning activities are challenged to take responsibility for their own learning. On the other hand, contents are integrated to students' daily life, needs, and interests. Teachers in this study pointed out that only students' academic development were taken into consideration in the ex-curriculum, but in the new one student is considered as a whole child to be paid attention to his/her social, emotional, psycho-motor, and academic development. do not help to foster students' understanding through reading.

Some of the teachers (36 out of 125) expressed that implementation of the new curriculum would not easy because of lack of materials, sources, and supports by school administrations and parents. Activities in the new curriculum require students use learning materials substantially. Particularly, the implementations of the new curriculum in schools of low socio-economic districts give teachers hard time.

Social Studies:
Social studies begin at fourth grade and continues until eight grade. A total of 85 fourth and fifth grade teachers (out of 210) shared their thoughts about the implementation of the social studies curriculum. The teachers thought that contents were well organized to foster students' understanding of social life of local, nationwide, and international level. Contents were also prepared to relate to contemporary life and problems. Students are encouraged to take responsibility to reach knowledge and data and then use them. While students study some subjects and issues in the course, they learn how to make critics and think critically or to look into events or issues from different perspectives. Therefore, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills that are necessary for living in a democratic society. To summarize, all the teachers who taught social studies believed that new social studies curriculum provide opportunity for students to develop them intellectually and socially.

Some of the teachers (24 out of 85) in this study criticized new social studies curriculum in terms of contents and activities. They pointed out that some of the activities in the curriculum were not convenient for some districts. In addition, some activities were useless or too much for students.

Science and Technology:

Teaching Science and Technology that is similar to social studies starts at fourth grade and continues till eight grade in the Turkish primary schools. A total of 85 fourth and fifth grade teachers (out of 210) shared their thoughts about the implementation of the science and technology curriculum. The teachers thought that the new curriculum challenged teachers to use a variety of teaching methods and strategies. This policy is good for students in terms of different learning styles. Moreover, contents of the course are applicable and convenient for students. Therefore, they acquire course standards very easily. Students in Turkish School System have difficulty and hard time to gain knowledge and skills of mathematics and science. Most of the students in schools have experiences of phobia in mathematics and science classes. The teachers in this study believed that the new curriculum help students to improve their understanding of science concepts in an enjoyable environment. Some of the teachers (22 out of 85) in this study pointed out that they had some difficulties to implement the new curriculum because of lack of materials, sources, and crowded classrooms. Particularly schools in rural areas do not have enough educational materials and laboratories for science and technology classes. On the other hand, urban schools have difficulties to get rid of crowded classrooms. Some class sizes go up to 60 students. Furthermore, the new curriculum requires teachers to fill out lots of paper works and forms about observing the development of students.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The process of teaching and learning is rooted in teacher, student, and curriculum. However, attention of society is always focused on the level of attainment of the desired learning objectives. All reform movements in educational history have been considered to increase students' achievements. Curriculum is a crucial component for academic achievement. However, curriculum is employed by teachers. So teachers should be informed about and believe in philosophical and psychological foundations of curriculum. Teachers' commitment to curriculum results in successful implementation of curriculum. Almost all teachers have positive attitudes about the new curriculum. These results are meaningful for successful implementation of curriculum. However, the teachers in this study have confusion about the balance of "less vs more" design because teachers used to be responsible to apply "more vs less" design curriculum. Primary school teachers need to be informed through in-service education about the new curriculum. Otherwise, the new curriculum which was devoted a great amount of money and effort will be teacher-centered and students memorize knowledge without meaningful understanding like in the curriculum of 1968 (Tekisik, 2005).

A main obstacle for implementation of the new curriculum is economical conditions. Schools struggle to handle financial problems. The new curriculum requires lots of paper works and materials. Sometimes teachers confront administration officers to have financial support. Particularly, parents in low socioeconomic districts are not willing to share or afford educational expenses. On the other hand, class size challenges teachers to implement the new curriculum. Since Turkey has a high birth rate and migration movement from rural areas to urban areas in European Countries. As a result, schools and classrooms are crowded. It is not easy to implement active learning and student-centered strategies in classrooms. To summarize, these problems should be solved to implement the new curriculum successfully. References Best, J. W. & Kahn, J. V. (1989). Research in Education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1993). In Search of Understanding: The Case For Constructivist. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD. Eisner, E. W. (1994). Cognition and Curriculum Reconsidered (2nd edition). Alexandria, Va.: ASCD. Harmin, M., & Toth, M. (2006). Inspiring Active Learning: A Complete Handbook For Today's Teachers (2nd edition). Alexandria, Va.: ASCD. Ornstein, A. C. & Hunkins, F. P. (1993). Curriculum: Foundations, Principles and Issues (2nd edition). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Tazebay, A. (2000). Ilkogretim Programlari ve Gelismeler: Program Gelistirme Ilke ve Teknikleri Acisindan Degerlendirilmesi. Ankara: Nobel Yayin Dagitim Ltd. Sti. Tekisik, H. H. (2005). Yeni Ilkogretim Programlarinin Uygulanmasina Ogretmenlerin Hazirlanmas ... Egitimde Yansimalar VIII: Yeni Ilkogretim Programlarini Degerlendirme Sempozyumu 14-16 Kasim 2005 Erciyes Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi, Kayseri. 11-16. Ankara: Tekisik Egitim Arastirma Gelistirme Vakfi Yayinlari http://programlar.meb.gov.tr

Religious beliefs in Turkey

Islam is the major religion in Turkey. About 97.4% of the Turkish population is Muslim, a majority of whom belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. A sizable minority is affiliated with the Alevi sect. The rest of the population practices various forms of Christianity (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholic, Church of the East), Judaism and Yezidism. There are many atheists as well.

Turkey is a strongly secular country and the military has often guarded the secular system, even getting involved in politics to do so. The state has no official religion and the constitution recognizes freedom of religion for individuals. It also states that religion cannot be a part of the political process or education so religious parties and faith-based schools are banned. However, religious sensibilities are generally represented through conservative parties. Turkey prohibits by law the wearing of religious headscarf and theo-political symbolic garments for both genders in government buildings, schools, and universities.

Turkey The Structure of the Turkish Science Curriculum

Author: M. Fatih Taar was born in Turkey where he earned a B.S. and M.S. degree in physics and earned his Ph.D. in science education at Pennsylvania State University. He was involved in recent curriculum reform efforts in Turkey and has been a member of the committee of science curriculum development for grades 4-8. He is a professor of science education at Gazi niversitesi, Ankara and actively involved in science teacher education and science education research. The sole authority in education in Turkey is the Ministry National of Education (MNE). MNE has offices in each province. Provinces are divided into smaller township districts for administrative purposes. Hence, school principals are responsible to township directors, who, in turn, are responsible to the Minister of Education. Despite the recent efforts to share and distribute the central power of the MNE to provincial directorates, currently all the fundamental and strategic decision making, including staff recruitment and dismissal, curricular issues, and opening new school buildings are made at the MNE headquarters in Ankara. The eight years primary education is compulsory for all and provided for free in public schools. A four year secondary education is also free in public schools for anyone wishing to have further education.

With the population of the country reaching 74 million in 2007 and continuing to increase in the years ahead the number of children attending more than 34,600 primary schools is 10,847,000 according to recent statistics. A total of 3,400,000 students are enrolled in all sorts of different secondary education schools. However, only 37% of them are enrolled in vocational and technical secondary schools in a country where on the one hand there exists a high unemployment rate for decades and on the other hand industry is often complaining of inadequately qualified workers. Science and Technology Education in Turkey With the recent changes made in the curriculum a course titled Science and Technology is offered in grades 4-8. A notable feature of the new curriculum is that technology education is now being integrated into science education and in this way sharing the higher status of the science course. Formerly, there existed a course named WorkTechnique for boys and another named Home Economics for girls. In the new curricula there is now a separate course named Technology and Design. The new primary science and technology curriculum has many characteristics: it has seven learning areas with four content strands supported by skills, understanding and attitudes; there is a spiral approach for each strand; mainly based on the constructivist approach; enriched with teaching activities and multiple assessment methods and techniques. The Seven Learning Areas are the following:

Physical Processes Life and Living Beings Matter and Change The Earth and the Universe Science Process Skills (SPS) Science-Technology-Society-Environment (STSE) Attitudes and Values (AV)

While the first four of these represent the content areas, the remaining three are interwoven into them throughout the grades. Although, they are not included as separate

units they are visible in all content area units. This approach clearly indicates the intent of having pupils engaged in student-centered activities while learning the content. Learning by doing is seen to be a central pillar of the new curriculum. The structure of the curriculum is established so that students may bring their daily life experiences into classrooms and, conversely, can take out their school experiences outside the school. In order to realize this, several suggested activities are provided in order to incorporate many related curricular outcomes to technology understandings. The new curriculum, where appropriate, prompts teachers to such important student misconceptions identified in the literature. Another purpose is to alert teachers to those wide spread misconceptions since often times the teachers may have persistent misconceptions themselves. The new curriculum urges teachers and educators to use more formative learning assessment and measurement techniques rather than usual paper and pencil tests. Among the many alternative measurement methods and techniques that can be listed, the range includes developing a student portfolio, group activities, and peer evaluation. Change in the name of the course Traditionally the science courses in primary education had been named science knowledge. The curriculum development committee felt this name didnt include the various aspects of science and that it misled students in that science is made up of only theories. In order to make the curriculum reform more meaningful, a name change was considered and the course is now named science and technology. The units in the content strands As mentioned above there are four content areas. Each one has several units folding out as the years progress. The spiral character of the curriculum is also evident from this table. Weekly course hours

Another big improvement was made in the weekly course hours with the new curriculum. Science courses in grades 4-8 were given 3 class hours per week, but with the current reform efforts the weekly hours were increased to 4 class hours per week. Currently, in grades 4-8 pupils take 144 class hours of the science and technology course in each grade. Here we should also mention that there is a separate course entitled design and technology that is similar to the science and technology class, which is two hours per week. In Turkey one school year is two semesters of 18 weeks each. The school year and first semester usually starts in mid-September and classes end for that semester around the end of January. After a two week holiday, classes resume again in mid-February and the school year and second semester ends in mid-June. Teachers have a paid two-week seminar both before classes begin in September and after classes end in June. These seminars are meant to give teachers preparation time. Each curricular department makes their arrangements for their yearly activities in this period, as well. Turkish secondary science curricula There are different types of high schools in Turkey and the popular ones accept students by an entry examination. Among them the so called Science and Anatolian high schools have greater success rates in the university selection and placement examinations. The majority of high school students are enrolled in general type high schools. There are four selection areas in the general and Anatolian type high schools for students to determine their future specialization: Science, social sciences, Turkish-Mathematics, and Foreign Languages. In the 9th grade students take common courses and in the subsequent grades the weight of the courses are determined according to areas of specialization. Thus, physics, chemistry, and biology are given 2 class hours per week in the 9th grade for all high school students. In grade 10 the students who select science as their specialization areas have these courses again 2 hours per week. In grades 11 and 12 the number of class hours is increased to 3 for these courses. Students in other specialization areas dont take these science courses in upper grades but they can take them as electives if they wish to do so.

To monitor the quality of education given in schools and classrooms there exists an inspection system governed by the Ministry. Inspectors regularly visit classrooms and give suggestions and ratings for each teacher and school. These official reports are then submitted to their chiefs. There are five main categories of operation on which the inspectors grade the teachers: guidance and on-the-job training, inspection and evaluation, examination, investigation, and research. Teachers are also provided inservice development opportunities at seven dedicated institutions nation-wide operated by the MNE. The ministry often cooperates with university faculty members in designing and running short term courses (one or two week) for teachers and inspectors. An immense teacher development effort is being implemented throughout the country for the renewed primary curricula and its approach to teaching and learning. Science teacher education in Turkey Teacher training in Turkey is done in faculties of education. There are 67 faculties of education throughout the country and 46 of them have a science teaching program (for grades 6-8). Since 1992 a separate science teaching program was established for middle grades because the science courses in these grades include all sorts of science topics. It was thought that when teachers certified in physics, chemistry, or biology teach these courses they were more inclined to give emphasis to their own areas and often omit others. Hence, it was deemed that there was a severe need for teachers certified to teach multiple science topics. In Turkey the usual practice is that a classroom teacher takes a class from grade 1 and teaches them for 5 years until the end of grade 5. This places a large responsibility on classroom teachers as these general education teachers are responsible for the scientific education of their pupils. A resolution to this is being discussed is if it would be better to have science teachers teach 4th and 5th science courses instead of classroom teachers. Prospective primary teachers attend 4-year university programs in Turkey. Prospective teachers of secondary education attend 5-year programs in faculties of education. Also, graduates of faculties of arts and sciences can attend a masters program (3 semesters)

offered by faculties of education in order to become eligible for teaching. All the prospective teachers have to pass a qualifying exam before getting employed by the MNE. Although most universities have masters programs in education currently there are only 9 universities offering PhD degrees in science education in Turkey. The problems to solve Currently, Turkey has not yet achieved a 100% schooling and literacy. Also, there is a teacher deficit mainly in primary grades, although there is no shortage of teacher supply. Another area that needs improvement is the large class sizes especially in the cities. Decentralization, a research oriented approach to problems, and government investment together with the encouragement and utilization of private investment in the area of education will prove helpful and effective.

References
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