The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) held a protest this morning to oppose the postponement of the school opening date. At the weekend it was announced that the new school term would be delayed by one week because of a shortage of teaching staff.
During the protest, which took place at the traffic lights near the Prime Minister’s Office, leaflets were distributed, and banners reading “Children to school, people to the streets, government resign” were displayed, Kibris Postasi reports.
In the leaflet distributed at the protest, which was attended by CTP leader Tufan Erhürman, General Secretary Asım Akansoy, and several members of parliament, it was claimed that “children’s right to education has been violated, the need for teachers has been ignored, teachers’ professional dignity has been undermined, and a flawed education system has been created“. The situation was described as “chaos, disgrace, and scandal“.
In a statement accusing the government of sacrificing children’s right to education for political gain, it said, “The same partisan mindset that left primary schools with a shortage of 240 teachers has turned the issue of hiring ‘temporary teachers’ into a tool for political manoeuvring. Meanwhile, the shortage of over 230 teachers in secondary education has been completely ignored. Instead of conducting a proper study, they’ve adopted a ‘teacher-saving’ policy. Teachers in many fields are overwhelmed by excessive workloads, forced to work in outdated conditions without proper training in education, and their professional dignity has been trampled on“.
The statement argued that public schools have been neglected, worsening the inequality of educational opportunities. It claimed a huge gap has been created between private and public schools, resulting in a system where only those with money can access a decent education.
“What’s happening is pure chaos, disgrace, and scandal,” the statement continued. “Despite offering scientific solutions and collective efforts to improve education, the mentality governing the country cares only about their own status and maintaining the current system. We must not stay silent and must unite to reclaim our children’s stolen right to education. Speak up, support our actions. We’re here, determined to bring this country to better days“.
