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Turkish parliamentary commission adopts bill to shut down prep schools

23 February 2014 03:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Turkish parliamentary commission has adopted a controversial bill that envisages closing down prep schools, country's most effective educational institutions, in a move that will further draw ire of parents and teachers, APA reports quoting Today's Zaman.

Turkish government introduced the draft bill seeking to close down prep schools or dershanes in October 2013. The parliamentary Education Commission on Friday started to discuss the bill and sent the bill to the General Assembly on Saturday.

According to the bill, exam preparatory schools will be allowed to operate until Sept. 1, 2015. All preparatory courses will be closed down after this date. Those exam prep schools that have accepted a transformation into private schools will have to meet the necessary requirements by June 2018. The bill states that those exam prep schools aiming to become private schools will be provided a certain amount of money. Those schools that fail to meet the necessary requirements by June 2018 will be closed down and the money provided to them will be paid back to the ministry with interest.

The government's move to close down the exam prep schools has stirred a massive debate. These schools, with their affordable fees, are regarded by mostly middle or low-income families as an equalizer of educational opportunities. Although there has been a strong public reaction against the push to close these schools, the government also insists on shutting them down.