Gestión de pestañas

23.21 The EC 2007 report stated that, “As concerns education, the gender gap in primary education decreased to 4.6% in the 2006-2007 school year from 5% in the 2005-2006 school year. The first phase of the campaign on education for girls conducted by the Ministry of National Education and UNICEF ended. Between 2004 and 2006 a total of 191,879 girls and 114,734 boys were integrated into primary education. A cash transfer scheme reinforced the campaign by providing direct income support to families. Private-sector and NGO campaigns aimed at increasing enrolment rates in primary and pre-school education continued.” [71d] (p19)

23.22 The EC 2007 further added that, “However, the primary school enrolment rate remains at 90%. In the area of education, improved monitoring of progress and drop-outs, especially of girls from primary education, is needed. More efforts

are needed to reduce regional disparities in schooling rates. Girls' enrolment in primary education has increased, but the gap in secondary education remains wide.” [71d] (p19)

23.23 As recorded in Turkey’s Statistical Yearbook 2006, in the education year 2006/2007, 92.25 per cent of males and 87.93 per cent of females were in primary education; in secondary education 60.71 per cent of males and 52.16 per cent of females and for higher education there are no figures available yet.

[89a] (p106 Section on Education and Culture)

23.24 UNESCO in their 2006 report ‘Early Childhood Care and Education’ stated that: “In Turkey preschool education is optional and includes the education of

children in the 3-5 years of age group. Preschool education is given in

kindergartens, preparatory classrooms, application classrooms, day nurseries, nursery schools, day-care homes, and childcare homes. Pre-primary education for which the Ministry of National Education is responsible is provided in Ana Okulları (kindergartens) for 36-72 months Sınıfları (nursery classes) for 60-72 months children or Uygulamalı Anasınıfı (‘practical’ nursery classes) for 36-72 months children. Aside from a parental contribution to expenditure on meals and cleaning materials, all public pre-primary institutions are free of charge, regardless of the type of setting or the year concerned.” [75]

23.25 The Child Information Network in Turkey, an undated website accessed on 3 October 2006 noted that under Article 28:

“States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity; they shall, in particular

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need;

(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means;

(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children;

(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.” [80]

23.26 The USSD 2006 report stated that, “Government-provided education through age 14 or the eighth grade was free, universal, and compulsory. The World Bank reported that gross enrollment for grades one to eight was 96 percent, while net enrollment for those grades was 90 percent. The maximum age to which public schooling was provided was 18. Only 40 percent of children have a high-school diploma, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. One in 10 girls does not attend compulsory primary school.” [5g] (section 5)

23.27 As highlighted by UNICEF, the main barriers to girls’ education were the followings:

“Shortage of schools and classrooms; schools are often situated far from home and many parents do not want their children, especially girls, to travel far; parents do not want to send children to schools that are in a poor physical state with no toilets or running water; many families suffer economic hardship; the traditional gender bias of families favours the needs of men and boys over those of women and girls; the need to augment domestic income by keeping children at home to work; many parents consider the early marriage of their girls to be more important than their education; female role models in rural

communities are scarce – or entirely absent; opportunities for secondary education are rare, discouraging interest at primary level.” [91a]

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23.28 As recorded on the UNICEF website on 29 December 2005:

“Only sixty-nine percent of girls attend primary school in Turkey. But thanks to a major education drive, over a quarter of a million more children have enrolled in school since 2003 – and 175,000 of these are girls. The campaign, dubbed ‘Hey Girls, Let’s Go to School,’ depends on a vast network of volunteers who go door-to-door to lobby parents on the value of education. Volunteers from a wide variety of professions are signing up and the programme has received support from prominent politicians, including the Prime Minister and First Lady of Turkey.” [91b]

23.29 As noted in a letter from the British Embassy in Ankara to the Country of origin information service, dated 27 March 2007:

“I refer to your letter of 21 February for additional information about services for children who are deaf, or whose hearing is impaired, in the province of Izmir. We are aware of at least one state-funded school for deaf children in the city of Izmir. This provides education from pre-school level up to 8th grade:

Tülay Aktaş İşitme Engelliler İlköğretim Okulu Mevlana Mahallesi, 373/2 Sokak

No:6/1, Bornova - IZMIR Tel: 90 232 3397826 Fax: 90 232 3392537 email: [email protected]

There is no secondary school for the deaf and hearing impaired in the province. At present children have the choice between being assisted to attend a normal secondary school or attending a specialist school in one of the neighbouring provinces in the Aegean region.

Pre-school education is also available. We are aware of two state-funded specialist toddler groups in Izmir itself, in the Carsi and Konak districts.

Provision is likely to be much more limited outside of the main towns, as in the UK. To access these services a child’s parents must first submit documentation to the local Directorate of Education confirming that his or her hearing is

impaired. A state hospital will usually be able to provide a suitable report.” [4q]

23.30 The International Deaf Children’s Society (IDCS) released a report by Mary C Essex on “Resources for Deaf people in Turkey” which noted that:

“Turkey has been doing a good job of special education and there are many resources available for people with disabilities. There are 47 elementary schools and 14 high schools for the Deaf throughtout Turkey. All of these schools are under the auspice of the Turkish Ministry of Education. Other Key National Offices that provide support for People with Disabilities are:

Ministry of Social Services and Child Protection Services

Milli Sosyal Hizmitler Cocuk Esirgeme Kurumu Bakanligi.

Turkish Rehabilitation Centers (SHCEK): There are 385 updated lists of centers with 41 centers for Hearing and Speech Impaired 337 centers for the Mentally Retarded and 7 Spastic centers. These centers serve an early infant program and work with families and children from 0 – 21.” [28]