Tweet
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Aug 25 2014
Political Islamist ideals pushed via imam-hatip schools sparks anger
by GÃ`LTEN Ã`STÃ`NTAÄ? / ISTANBUL
The results of the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education
(TEOG) exam held in June were announced several days ago, but a number
of students and families have received bitter surprises, as some
students were automatically enrolled in imam-hatip high schools, which
provide Islamic religious education, prompting outrage among some
Alevis and Armenians, as well as Sunnis.
Some representatives of the Armenian and Alevi communities have
reacted harshly to the odd practice by saying they will not allow
their children to be forced to go to Islamic schools, which they
consider to be part of an political Islamist agenda introduced by the
government.
After media coverage indicated that a number of students from minority
groups had been automatically placed in imam-hatip schools, a number
of others to whom it had happened raised their voices against the
ill-motivated practice of the education system. Many students and
their families were not aware that a low score on the TEOG exam --
which was given for the first time in 2014 -- could automatically
place a student in an imam-hatip high school.
Some 1.2 million eighth-graders took the TEOG exam in June and the
results were announced a couple of days ago. All eighth-grade students
who want to enroll in high school must take the TEOG exam, forcing
them to make a choice between two options if they fail to get a high
score on the exam: vocational schools or imam-hatip schools.
The government is frequently criticized for trying to dominate the
education system in line with a political Islamist agenda, aiming to
shape schools -- especially high schools -- by limiting the
alternatives available to students who complete secondary school and
pushing them to attend imam-hatip high schools.
Speaking with Today's Zaman about the issue, Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hayko BaÄ?dat recalled that the government had previously
issued a circular requiring all advertising boards to be written in
Turkish, adding: `The government later corrected the mistake by
exempting Armenian companies and their advertising signs. I am sure
that Armenian children will be exempted from this practice, too.'
However, BaÄ?dat has other concerns regarding the implementation.
According to him, the government is imposing onto the people a Sunni
version of Islam by automatically enrolling them in imam-hatip high
schools. `Any decision to send children to any kind of high school is
[to be] made by their families and the children themselves. The
government-initiated practice is totally anti-democratic. It is a type
of imposition that has not been faced very often,' BaÄ?dat noted.
When asked about ErdoÄ?an's previous discourse regarding raising
"religious generations," BaÄ?dat responded: `If religious youth are
desired then the government should allow the Greek Orthodox Halki
[Heybeliada] Seminary and cemevis [Alevi houses of worship] to be
opened so any community in the country may mold their children in
accordance with their belief system, as an indicator of the equality
of opportunity."
An Armenian journalist from the Agos weekly, Ferda Balancar, also
criticized the automatic enrollment in Islamic schools, saying: `The
present situation offends the Armenian community. Such moves and
mistakes are prompting the Armenian community, with a population of
50,000-60,000, to feel uneasy. These sorts of wrongdoings and mistakes
in the education system should be prevented. Civil society groups and
media outlets should actively take a position against this move.
However, not only Armenian and Alevi families have reacted against the
practice; some Sunni families have also raised their objections
against the auto-enrolment. According to the Taraf daily, a parent of
a Sunni student who goes by the initials M.Y. complained that despite
the fact that her child scored extremely high marks in the exam, he
was not placed in one of the 17 schools that he had chosen and was
automatically sent to an imam-hatip school: "My child does not want to
study in this school. For days we have faced serious problems at home.
I am Sunni and fast during Ramadan but I still do not want to send my
child to that school."
Speaking with Today's Zaman, Alevi intellectual Cafer Solgun described
the mandatory enrollment in imam-hatip high schools as disrespectful
to minorities and the rights of those who do not embrace the Sunni
interpretation of Islam, saying: `There is nothing worse than
discriminatory implementations against any parts of society based on
culture, identity and ethnicity. Automatically placing Armenian or
Alevi students in these schools is definitely going too far. None of
our citizens deserve such an arrogant and inappropriate attitude."
Regarding ErdoÄ?an's intention to create a religious generation, Solgun
stressed that the state and its leaders have no such responsibility or
authority, adding: "Stating this intention so explicitly is a direct
attack on those who are not part of the Sunni branch of Islam. The
Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship for everyone
by saying that no one has an obligation to declare what they believe
in. The rule is violating this fundamental principle."
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ä°stanbul deputy
Sabahat Akkiraz, also an Alevi, slammed the government, saying: "The
change in the education system by imposing the 4+4+4 system on
students has prompted the current debacle. This system has resulted in
our Christian students being placed in Islamic schools. We will stand
against the AK Party's efforts to assimilate and divide our society
based on religion. We well fight to the end to block the government to
put its plan into practice.'
The 4+4+4 educational system was introduced in the beginning of the
2012-2013 academic year and brought about fundamental changes. Fifteen
new elective courses were introduced in the new system. However,
elective courses are chosen by the school administration, not by
students and teachers, so the system of elective courses that was
brought with the reform has been nothing more than a formality.
Professor Emeritus Saim Yeprem of Marmara University's Faculty of
Theology told Today's Zaman that despite the fact that Alevi and
Armenian students, like other members of minority groups, should be
able to learn the basic principles of the society in which they live
to enable communication if they wish, they should not be forced to do
it involuntarily.
"If families overtly state that they do not want their children to
have an education in line with an Islamic system, then no pressure
should be imposed on them. If a mistake is made by placing these
students in imam-hatips, then the mistake should be corrected," Yeprem
added.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_political-islamist-ideals-pushed-via-imam-hatip-schools-sparks-anger_356744.html
Aug 25 2014
Political Islamist ideals pushed via imam-hatip schools sparks anger
by GÃ`LTEN Ã`STÃ`NTAÄ? / ISTANBUL
The results of the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education
(TEOG) exam held in June were announced several days ago, but a number
of students and families have received bitter surprises, as some
students were automatically enrolled in imam-hatip high schools, which
provide Islamic religious education, prompting outrage among some
Alevis and Armenians, as well as Sunnis.
Some representatives of the Armenian and Alevi communities have
reacted harshly to the odd practice by saying they will not allow
their children to be forced to go to Islamic schools, which they
consider to be part of an political Islamist agenda introduced by the
government.
After media coverage indicated that a number of students from minority
groups had been automatically placed in imam-hatip schools, a number
of others to whom it had happened raised their voices against the
ill-motivated practice of the education system. Many students and
their families were not aware that a low score on the TEOG exam --
which was given for the first time in 2014 -- could automatically
place a student in an imam-hatip high school.
Some 1.2 million eighth-graders took the TEOG exam in June and the
results were announced a couple of days ago. All eighth-grade students
who want to enroll in high school must take the TEOG exam, forcing
them to make a choice between two options if they fail to get a high
score on the exam: vocational schools or imam-hatip schools.
The government is frequently criticized for trying to dominate the
education system in line with a political Islamist agenda, aiming to
shape schools -- especially high schools -- by limiting the
alternatives available to students who complete secondary school and
pushing them to attend imam-hatip high schools.
Speaking with Today's Zaman about the issue, Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hayko BaÄ?dat recalled that the government had previously
issued a circular requiring all advertising boards to be written in
Turkish, adding: `The government later corrected the mistake by
exempting Armenian companies and their advertising signs. I am sure
that Armenian children will be exempted from this practice, too.'
However, BaÄ?dat has other concerns regarding the implementation.
According to him, the government is imposing onto the people a Sunni
version of Islam by automatically enrolling them in imam-hatip high
schools. `Any decision to send children to any kind of high school is
[to be] made by their families and the children themselves. The
government-initiated practice is totally anti-democratic. It is a type
of imposition that has not been faced very often,' BaÄ?dat noted.
When asked about ErdoÄ?an's previous discourse regarding raising
"religious generations," BaÄ?dat responded: `If religious youth are
desired then the government should allow the Greek Orthodox Halki
[Heybeliada] Seminary and cemevis [Alevi houses of worship] to be
opened so any community in the country may mold their children in
accordance with their belief system, as an indicator of the equality
of opportunity."
An Armenian journalist from the Agos weekly, Ferda Balancar, also
criticized the automatic enrollment in Islamic schools, saying: `The
present situation offends the Armenian community. Such moves and
mistakes are prompting the Armenian community, with a population of
50,000-60,000, to feel uneasy. These sorts of wrongdoings and mistakes
in the education system should be prevented. Civil society groups and
media outlets should actively take a position against this move.
However, not only Armenian and Alevi families have reacted against the
practice; some Sunni families have also raised their objections
against the auto-enrolment. According to the Taraf daily, a parent of
a Sunni student who goes by the initials M.Y. complained that despite
the fact that her child scored extremely high marks in the exam, he
was not placed in one of the 17 schools that he had chosen and was
automatically sent to an imam-hatip school: "My child does not want to
study in this school. For days we have faced serious problems at home.
I am Sunni and fast during Ramadan but I still do not want to send my
child to that school."
Speaking with Today's Zaman, Alevi intellectual Cafer Solgun described
the mandatory enrollment in imam-hatip high schools as disrespectful
to minorities and the rights of those who do not embrace the Sunni
interpretation of Islam, saying: `There is nothing worse than
discriminatory implementations against any parts of society based on
culture, identity and ethnicity. Automatically placing Armenian or
Alevi students in these schools is definitely going too far. None of
our citizens deserve such an arrogant and inappropriate attitude."
Regarding ErdoÄ?an's intention to create a religious generation, Solgun
stressed that the state and its leaders have no such responsibility or
authority, adding: "Stating this intention so explicitly is a direct
attack on those who are not part of the Sunni branch of Islam. The
Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship for everyone
by saying that no one has an obligation to declare what they believe
in. The rule is violating this fundamental principle."
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ä°stanbul deputy
Sabahat Akkiraz, also an Alevi, slammed the government, saying: "The
change in the education system by imposing the 4+4+4 system on
students has prompted the current debacle. This system has resulted in
our Christian students being placed in Islamic schools. We will stand
against the AK Party's efforts to assimilate and divide our society
based on religion. We well fight to the end to block the government to
put its plan into practice.'
The 4+4+4 educational system was introduced in the beginning of the
2012-2013 academic year and brought about fundamental changes. Fifteen
new elective courses were introduced in the new system. However,
elective courses are chosen by the school administration, not by
students and teachers, so the system of elective courses that was
brought with the reform has been nothing more than a formality.
Professor Emeritus Saim Yeprem of Marmara University's Faculty of
Theology told Today's Zaman that despite the fact that Alevi and
Armenian students, like other members of minority groups, should be
able to learn the basic principles of the society in which they live
to enable communication if they wish, they should not be forced to do
it involuntarily.
"If families overtly state that they do not want their children to
have an education in line with an Islamic system, then no pressure
should be imposed on them. If a mistake is made by placing these
students in imam-hatips, then the mistake should be corrected," Yeprem
added.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_political-islamist-ideals-pushed-via-imam-hatip-schools-sparks-anger_356744.html