“Yes, education.”

One question that I ask students during interviews is whether they think Turkey has any problems. The reply is the one universal answer I’ve heard—“Yes, education.” Students say this for different reasons. Some focus on pre-university education. Others mention the entrance exam required for university admission in Turkey. Regardless of their reasons, almost all agree that education is not only a major problem, but is one of the
primary solutions to a better, more democratic Turkey.

While most of these students have at least one parent who has attended university, a quarter of them have parents who weren’t educated past high school, with some of them not going past primary school. Even today, education is compulsory only through middle school, though the Department of Education is trying to change this. When asked how he would change education if he had the money, one student said that he would have schools begin earlier. Right now, primary school begins around the age of 7, he said. Many students cite the need for more teachers, especially in the country, and better access to education, especially for girls. One student told me that primary school classes have as many as 40-50 students per class. By contrast my friends who are teaching in the United States say that 16 is the ideal number (though they often teach double this number).

Where are all the teachers? Going into more lucrative fields, it seems. I spoke with one student from the Child Education and Development Faculty, but her career goal is to make education projects in a non-profit, not to teach. I was told that teachers make about 900 Lira/month (about $600).

The problems continue if one wants to go to university. Like in the U.S., Turkish students must take an entrance exam to get into university. Unlike in the U.S., where students hear that the exam is only one part of the application process, in Turkey the exam means everything. Not only is it essentially the sole piece of the application, but also it is fiercely competitive. About 1.5 million students take the exam. Only 300,000 of those test-takers get spots in Turkey’s roughly 80 2-year and 4-year univerisities. This exam is not calculated in multiples of 10, like the SAT, but rather the scoring extends four decimal points, the last of which has the power to determine which school admits you and to which program.

Because of this, many students spend much of their high school years attending one of the private test-prep dersanes that dot the cities, such as the one in this picture. For many, their last year is spent entirely in the dersane, with more priority being given to learning the test than to studies in school. Furthermore, the costs of these dersanes are a significant expense in most households.

Despite the problems in education in Turkey, there is a belief among the youth that they have better access to education and information than their parents did. Furthermore, this is one area of Turkish political and social life where all students seem to be conscious of both the problems and potential. And if, as some of the students have told me, consciousness is the first step to making change, and education is the key to change, then Turkey could have a brighter future.