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A LOOK AT TURKEY'S MINORITY SCHOOLS
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 26 2013
Photo: A 100-year-old file photo from the school for the
hearing-impaired in Amasya. The teacher is attempting to aid an
impaired child's speech.
26 September 2013 /ERKAM EMRE, Ä°STANBUL
The History Foundation has released its report, "Minority Schools
from Past to Present: Issues and Solutions Project." The report,
drafted by Assistant Prof. Dr. Selcuk AkÅ~_in Somel and Nurcan Kaya,
analyzes the historical evolution of Turkey's minority schools and
reviews their current problems.
The Private Gökceada Greek School was recently opened with four
students and a principle. This constructive step was welcomed on
both sides of the Aegean Sea. However, the school seems to have held
onto the burdens of the past. This primary school in the village of
Zeytinli exhibits the same problems and issues that all other minority
schools in Turkey do.
The History Foundation announced its report in a press conference. A
delegation that included YeÅ~_ilköy Primary School Principal Garo
Paylan and journalist Mihail Vasiliadis discussed the historical
evolution and issues of minority schools at the meeting. The
participants offered solutions to the problems minority schools have
been experiencing amid a visible row between the nations concerned,
Greece and Turkey.
Sadly, the Anatolian region, which once hosted peoples and nations as
friends, has changed. Non-Muslim minority schools were affected by
the social polarization that rising nationalism in the 19th century
made inevitable. Under Shariah law implemented during Ottoman rule,
non-Muslim minorities were regarded as communities to be protected
by Muslims; in this context, they were entitled to administer their
own education systems. Institutions led by clerics used to train
teachers who would offer religious education. The number of these
schools dramatically declined as tensions grew in the late Ottoman
period. The report by the History Foundation presents statistics
covering the period from the 19th century to date.
According to the data available in 1984, there were 6,437 non-Muslim
minority schools in the Ottoman state. The report says there were
302 of these schools in Ä°stanbul, and that they were able to offer
education freely. Interestingly, the report also notes that Jews,
Armenians and Greeks as well as Bulgarians, Arameans (Syriacs) and
Maronites all had their own schools. The number of such schools has
declined over time. Currently, there are only 22 minority schools in
the country. Armenians run 16, Greeks five, and Jews run one school,
in Ä°stanbul.
Selcuk AkÅ~_in Somel, addressing the historical cause of the problem
and the Ottoman period, offered a clarification regarding the emergence
of the notion of "minorities" at the meeting. In his presentation,
Somel noted that the Committee of Union and Progress, which came
to power in the late Ottoman period, implemented social engineering
policies designed to force non-Muslim communities to emigrate.
The committee was the primary actor in this field until the Treaty of
Lausanne, which referred to the issue as a "minority" problem. Under
the Treaty of Lausanne, non-Muslim communities, referred to as
minorities, were entitled to autonomously administer schools in their
native languages; the schools were to be funded by the state. However,
the minority schools, which were already in decline, were negatively
affected by the policies of repression and assimilation pursued during
the republican era.
The minority schools had severe problems because of provisions in a
law that unified the education system. The law specified one central
set of rules for all education institutions. As a result of these
problems, a huge number of members of minority communities left the
country. The deputy principals appointed by the Education Ministry and
the inspectors who checked up on education standards in these schools
viewed them as places of potential disruption; this attitude left
an indelible impression on non-Muslims. Many had to migrate because
of the pressure to use the Turkish language, the Sept. 6-7 incidents
and the Cyprus issue.
Syrian Armenian children unable to get report cards in Turkey One
of the issues discussed in the report is the right to education in
one's native language, which has recently become popular again. While
non-Muslim minorities had the right to offer education in their
native languages under Treaty of Lausanne, current circumstances
make it impossible to return to that system. There are no qualified
teachers because there are no faculties training teachers in Armenian
or Hebrew. The lack of a public institution to prepare course materials
is another obstacle. As a result, education is offered only in Turkish
in these schools. Paylan notes that Turkey's high-school admissions
tests are administered in Turkish; for this reason, he says, parents
ask for education in this language.
Another issue discussed at the meeting is the process Armenian or
Greek children who identify as Muslims go through to enroll in minority
schools; law forbids people officially recognized as Muslims to study
at these schools. In addition, Armenian children who took refuge in
Turkey to escape the ongoing war in Syria may be given the status of
"visiting students" at minority schools. Children with this status
are not entitled to receive report cards. Practices based on the
principle of reciprocity are also causing enormous problems. As a
result of these problems, students looking for a better future mostly
prefer to study abroad.
"Istanbul's 100 schools tell forgotten history" The Culture Company
(Kultur AÅ~^) has released another volume for its series of 100-themed
books. The 66th volume in the series discusses the schools, which
were indicators of how multicultural life was in the capital city of
the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The book, "Istanbul's 100 schools,"
which tells the stories of the Armenian, Greek and Jewish schools in
the Ottoman era, was written by Derya BaÅ~_.
The book offers interesting anecdotes on the schools, which have
become an inseparable part of Ä°stanbul's identity. The book contains
historical photos of the schools that lovers of the city will find
invaluable.
Photo: Teachers from the Bursa Kevorkyan School.
Photo: Hrant Dink (far left) while captain of his school soccer team.
The Tuzla Orphanage, where Dink spent his childhood, has since been
shut down.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-327445-a-look-at-turkeys-minority-schools.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 26 2013
Photo: A 100-year-old file photo from the school for the
hearing-impaired in Amasya. The teacher is attempting to aid an
impaired child's speech.
26 September 2013 /ERKAM EMRE, Ä°STANBUL
The History Foundation has released its report, "Minority Schools
from Past to Present: Issues and Solutions Project." The report,
drafted by Assistant Prof. Dr. Selcuk AkÅ~_in Somel and Nurcan Kaya,
analyzes the historical evolution of Turkey's minority schools and
reviews their current problems.
The Private Gökceada Greek School was recently opened with four
students and a principle. This constructive step was welcomed on
both sides of the Aegean Sea. However, the school seems to have held
onto the burdens of the past. This primary school in the village of
Zeytinli exhibits the same problems and issues that all other minority
schools in Turkey do.
The History Foundation announced its report in a press conference. A
delegation that included YeÅ~_ilköy Primary School Principal Garo
Paylan and journalist Mihail Vasiliadis discussed the historical
evolution and issues of minority schools at the meeting. The
participants offered solutions to the problems minority schools have
been experiencing amid a visible row between the nations concerned,
Greece and Turkey.
Sadly, the Anatolian region, which once hosted peoples and nations as
friends, has changed. Non-Muslim minority schools were affected by
the social polarization that rising nationalism in the 19th century
made inevitable. Under Shariah law implemented during Ottoman rule,
non-Muslim minorities were regarded as communities to be protected
by Muslims; in this context, they were entitled to administer their
own education systems. Institutions led by clerics used to train
teachers who would offer religious education. The number of these
schools dramatically declined as tensions grew in the late Ottoman
period. The report by the History Foundation presents statistics
covering the period from the 19th century to date.
According to the data available in 1984, there were 6,437 non-Muslim
minority schools in the Ottoman state. The report says there were
302 of these schools in Ä°stanbul, and that they were able to offer
education freely. Interestingly, the report also notes that Jews,
Armenians and Greeks as well as Bulgarians, Arameans (Syriacs) and
Maronites all had their own schools. The number of such schools has
declined over time. Currently, there are only 22 minority schools in
the country. Armenians run 16, Greeks five, and Jews run one school,
in Ä°stanbul.
Selcuk AkÅ~_in Somel, addressing the historical cause of the problem
and the Ottoman period, offered a clarification regarding the emergence
of the notion of "minorities" at the meeting. In his presentation,
Somel noted that the Committee of Union and Progress, which came
to power in the late Ottoman period, implemented social engineering
policies designed to force non-Muslim communities to emigrate.
The committee was the primary actor in this field until the Treaty of
Lausanne, which referred to the issue as a "minority" problem. Under
the Treaty of Lausanne, non-Muslim communities, referred to as
minorities, were entitled to autonomously administer schools in their
native languages; the schools were to be funded by the state. However,
the minority schools, which were already in decline, were negatively
affected by the policies of repression and assimilation pursued during
the republican era.
The minority schools had severe problems because of provisions in a
law that unified the education system. The law specified one central
set of rules for all education institutions. As a result of these
problems, a huge number of members of minority communities left the
country. The deputy principals appointed by the Education Ministry and
the inspectors who checked up on education standards in these schools
viewed them as places of potential disruption; this attitude left
an indelible impression on non-Muslims. Many had to migrate because
of the pressure to use the Turkish language, the Sept. 6-7 incidents
and the Cyprus issue.
Syrian Armenian children unable to get report cards in Turkey One
of the issues discussed in the report is the right to education in
one's native language, which has recently become popular again. While
non-Muslim minorities had the right to offer education in their
native languages under Treaty of Lausanne, current circumstances
make it impossible to return to that system. There are no qualified
teachers because there are no faculties training teachers in Armenian
or Hebrew. The lack of a public institution to prepare course materials
is another obstacle. As a result, education is offered only in Turkish
in these schools. Paylan notes that Turkey's high-school admissions
tests are administered in Turkish; for this reason, he says, parents
ask for education in this language.
Another issue discussed at the meeting is the process Armenian or
Greek children who identify as Muslims go through to enroll in minority
schools; law forbids people officially recognized as Muslims to study
at these schools. In addition, Armenian children who took refuge in
Turkey to escape the ongoing war in Syria may be given the status of
"visiting students" at minority schools. Children with this status
are not entitled to receive report cards. Practices based on the
principle of reciprocity are also causing enormous problems. As a
result of these problems, students looking for a better future mostly
prefer to study abroad.
"Istanbul's 100 schools tell forgotten history" The Culture Company
(Kultur AÅ~^) has released another volume for its series of 100-themed
books. The 66th volume in the series discusses the schools, which
were indicators of how multicultural life was in the capital city of
the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The book, "Istanbul's 100 schools,"
which tells the stories of the Armenian, Greek and Jewish schools in
the Ottoman era, was written by Derya BaÅ~_.
The book offers interesting anecdotes on the schools, which have
become an inseparable part of Ä°stanbul's identity. The book contains
historical photos of the schools that lovers of the city will find
invaluable.
Photo: Teachers from the Bursa Kevorkyan School.
Photo: Hrant Dink (far left) while captain of his school soccer team.
The Tuzla Orphanage, where Dink spent his childhood, has since been
shut down.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-327445-a-look-at-turkeys-minority-schools.html