Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer made a statement at the AFAD Coordination Center after the General Situation Presentation and Evaluation Meeting in Hatay.
Reminding that education was suspended in 81 provinces due to the earthquake, Özer said that education was started in 71 provinces, including Elazığ, on 20 February, and that they brought education to approximately 15 million 242 thousand students.
Minister Özer reminded that in order to start education and training in 10 provinces in the earthquake zone and to normalize life, they divided the provinces into 3 categories, taking into account the current damage situations.
“77 provinces continue education in the second semester”
Noting that Kilis, Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa are in the first category, Özer noted that they started education in these provinces on March 1, and that 1 million 236 thousand 929 students and teachers met with education.
Özer stated that Gaziantep, Osmaniye and Adana provinces are in the second category and continued as follows:
“Actually, our Adana province was in the first category, but later we transferred our Adana province to the second category. Therefore, we started education for the second term in Gaziantep, Osmaniye and Adana provinces, which are in the second category, as of March 13. Approximately 1 million 258 thousand 719 students started education in these 3 provinces. Our 71 provinces and 6 provinces in the first and second category, that is, a total of 77 provinces, continue their education in the second term as of now. A total of 17 million 737 thousand 648 students continue their education in these provinces. About 252 thousand of our students started their education in other provinces with their friends and peers.
Stating that there are 4 provinces in the third category, Özer stated that these are Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Malatya and Hatay, which were most affected by the damage.
Explaining that after extensive consultations with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Ministry of Interior, governors, district governors, deputies, provincial national education directors and district national education directors, they decided to start education gradually in these 4 provinces, Özer continued his words as follows:
“I hope we will start education gradually and peacefully, starting from the districts where the number of healthy schools and the normal flow of life have become normal, not in all of our central districts, as in our other 6 provinces. In this context, as of March 27, we will start education in Arapgir, Arguvan, Kale, Pütürge, Doğanyol in Malatya. We are starting education in our districts of , Yazıhan, Darende and Hekimhan, Kahta, Gerger, Sincik, Samsat and Çelikhan in Adıyaman, and Andırın and Ekinözü in only two of our districts in Kahramanmaraş. We also made a comprehensive assessment about Hatay, where we are today. As a result of a comprehensive evaluation together with our deputies, AFAD presidents, provincial and district national education directors, and district governors of all our districts, we will start education as of March 27 in Yayladağ, Altınözü, Erzin, Reyhanlı, Payas, Dörtyol and Arsuz districts.
As we have underlined in our previous statements in our other provinces, as in our other provinces; We will only carry out education in our schools, where a sound report has been given by our Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.”
Mentioning that they will also manage the bussed education processes if dual education is required, Özer said, “We now leave the start of the education processes in these four provinces to our governorships in the districts whose names we have not mentioned. Our governorships, AFAD, within the scope of the evaluations in their centers, will see which districts are ready in the weeks after 27 March, both of our teachers and our teachers. I hope they will share their accommodation needs with the public by taking all necessary precautions regarding the conditions of our students.” used the phrases.
Stating that as of now, children continue to receive education in 1793 tents, containers and prefabricated schools in the region, despite the closure of education, Özer said, “Because, as the Ministry, our approach for the region is; rather than curriculum-based education, our children quickly overcome this trauma and normalize, especially psychologically. We take care to bring our children together with their teachers in tents, containers and prefabricated schools in order to support their strength. We will continue this care. In other words, we will continue to provide educational support to our students with tents and containers and prefabricated schools in our districts that we have not mentioned here, even though education has not officially started.” he said.
Reminding that they took a series of decisions regarding the 8th and 12th grade students preparing for LGS and YKS, Özer continued as follows:
“We have opened Support and Training Courses at 734 points in the region in order to not include the second term issues in terms of eliminating the grievances of our children and to support their preparations quickly without being affected by this process. In other words, we have opened Support and Training Courses here both with our teachers in the region and at the assessment and evaluation centers of our General Directorate of Assessment and Evaluation Exam Services in 81 provinces. “We continue to provide all kinds of support for our children to prepare for LGS and YKS exams by sending our teachers who are on duty. We will not victimize any of our children. May their families be well.”
Expressing that they will increase the number and capacity of support for children day by day, Özer said, “Hopefully, we will increase the support point from 734 to 1000 by the end of this week. In other words, we will support our children until the exam time, not only about the academy, but also about their psychological resilience. Our guidance teachers and psychological counselors will continue to take an active part in the process as they were at the beginning.” said.
“We have allocated an investment of approximately 40 billion liras to the region”
Minister Özer stated that they revised the provincial investment programs in the region due to the disaster and noted that they allocated approximately 40 billion liras of investment to the region.
Emphasizing that they will have finalized both the existing investments and the investments that need to be revised due to this disaster, Özer said, “As I explained in Kahramanmaraş, we will build permanent prefabricated schools with steel construction in the region. We decided to build new prefabricated schools in 500 regions. I hope they will be done quickly. We will continue to support our children, education and training, by gradually putting them into service in April, in order to complete the next education and training in a similar way.” used the phrase.
Noting that they will get through these processes quickly, Özer said, “Our state is on the field with all its means, and we will overcome these difficult days with unity, hopefully. Get well soon again and our condolences.” spoke his words.
Graphic: Hafiz Yurt Ates