In line with Erdogan’s wishes
Unions take apart “despotic” curriculum
28.05.2024, 16:15
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The Turkish government under President Erdogan clearly stands for a conservative, religious nationalism. This is apparently being taught to children. At least that is how education unions see it. The new school curricula are “racist and sexist”.
The Turkish government has drawn sharp criticism for a new curriculum for schools. With the new content, the Islamic-conservative AKP government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to impose its ideology on the students, said Kadem Özbay of the education union Egitim-İş.
Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin approved the curriculum on Sunday. It is to be implemented nationwide in preschools, 1st, 5th and 9th grades from the new school year starting in September. According to the program, the curriculum focuses on educating “competent and virtuous people” who should heed characteristics such as “ethical, wise, compassionate, healthy, productive and patriotic.”
Evolutionary theory is not taught
Özbay criticized that the students were being taught values that corresponded to a “political-Islamic, conservative nationalism.” The theory of evolution had been completely removed. “The founder of the state, Atatürk, and his achievements, as well as the founding of the republic, are barely mentioned.” The union announced that it would file a lawsuit against the new curriculum.
The Egitim Sen trade union also said the curriculum was “racist, sexist and hostile to nature.” Suat Özcagdas of the opposition CHP called the new curriculum “a dream for sects and religious communities” and “authoritarian, despotic and backward-looking.”
The dispute over education is representative of a central conflict within Turkish society, between secular and conservative parts of society, who see religion pushed to the margins. But religious-conservative associations are also criticizing the new curriculum. From the point of view of the Önder association, religious and national values are not sufficiently addressed. The model neglects spiritual and ethical aspects. Önder is the umbrella organization of the religious Imam-Hatip schools, the number of which has increased significantly under Erdogan’s government.