Turkey is drawing global attention with the projects and reforms she has been making in education, health and social areas. Dedicating 23 April International Children´s Festival to all children of the world, Turkey has not only been implementing applicable social projects to enable children to live in peace and security, but she has also been making reforms for them so that they can benefit from contemporary educational facilities. Turkey is exerting her efforts not to lose an entire generation through the services she offers to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian children who have taken shelter in Turkey.
Schooling rate has increased
There are currently 17,559,989 students who attend to formal education. The net schooling rate in secondary education which was 67,37% in 2011-2012 academic year has risen to 79,37% with the implementation of 12 year compulsory education.
2 billion textbooks have been distributed in 12 years
Thanks to the social facilities and financial support provided by the Ministry of National Education, all children can enjoy their education rights on equal basis. In Turkey where primary and secondary school textbooks are offered to students free of charge, almost 2 billion textbooks have been distributed in 12 years. The amount of scholarship granted to primary and secondary school students has increased 12 times in 12 years.
Modern education facilities
In an attempt to provide students with high-tech educational facilities, schools in Turkey were granted 920,154 computers and 196,451 projectors between 2002-2014 academic years.
Social policies to create peace and security for children
The number of Care Centres which are composed of detached residences constructed in accordance with the needs of different age-group children has increased 25 times.
Goodwill Ambassadors and Return to Family Project
Having started on 19 December 2012, Goodwill Ambassadors Project has helped 4,008 children find a foster family and 56,018 children have been supported in their own families without being taken under protection. What is more, thanks to the "Return to Family Project", the families who wanted to send their children to orphanage due to economic reasons have been supported and in so doing, their children could return to their own houses. The number of children supported by Return to Family Project rose 40 times as of 2014 and reached 10,526. ANKA Children´s Support Program has been initiated in an attempt to help children who are victims of crime and who are living on the streets hold on to life once again. There are currently 62 Children´s Support Centres in 33 cities of Turkey.
Aim: Not to lose a generation
Assuming active roles in international organisations to help children live in peace and security, Turkey has been exerting her efforts not to lose a generation through the support she is offering to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian children who have taken shelter in Turkey. Within the framework of the activities conducted by Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), 160,480 Syrian and Iraqi children are currently been hosted in 25 Temporary Accommodation Centres. 76.107 children who had to drop out due to the conflicts in their countries safely continue their education in fully-equipped schools located in the accommodation centres of AFAD. The schooling rate of school-age children residing in temporary accommodation centres is above 90%.
Sources: http://www.kdk.gov.tr/
