Semester

During the 1957 Fethiye earthquake, we were a poor but happy nuclear family of 4 living in a stone house on a hillside in Göcek Village, Dereboğazı Neighborhood, right next to Sırım Creek. To me, our stone house had a long chimney. In the earthquake, so many chimneys, minarets, and houses in Fethiye were destroyed. Fethiye was practically leveled. Our stone house and its chimney were standing tall. My father, Mason Mehmet Demir, was rightfully proud of the chimney he had built himself (because it didn't collapse in the earthquake). And from that day on, in my eyes, he had proven his mastery. After the earthquake, he wanted to be called "Master Mason Mehmet" (even if he didn't openly ask for it). That's how it seemed to me. He was known and remembered that way until he died. 

For children, their fathers are often heroes. My father was always a hero to me. He will remain a hero. Like Mimar Sinan, in 1958, during his prime, we built a more modern house with two rooms and a kitchen in the area above the first stone house. However, the toilet was outside, in the garden. I say "we built" because I helped with the stones, the wood, and the mortar as an apprentice. We lived there until my father passed away and we got married and moved out. 

I used to go to Göcek Primary School (now Göcek Deniz Temiz Primary School) from that new house, which was built as a semi-reinforced concrete structure. I received my first report card during the first semester* break while living in that house. I ran toward my father, who was preparing the field for spring, passing through the makeshift garden gate made of wood. When I said, "Father, look, I got my report card. All my grades are GOOD" (as it was for all students, only the Conduct grade was EXCELLENT), he stopped working, leaned on his hoe, and took the report card in his hand. He looked and looked. "This doesn't suit you. You didn't work hard enough. Your report card should have been EXCELLENT from top to bottom," he said, and threw the report card away. He turned back and continued his work. I was very upset; I think it had such an impact on me that after the second semester, I always tried to bring home a report card full of EXCELLENT (now for some reason it's called Very Good!) grades. 

Yesterday, our children, the future of all of Turkey, received their report cards. The first half of the year, or the semester, is over. Let them rest, travel, and play during the semester break. Whether it's a weak or a good grade, receiving a report card is like receiving an award. The Ministry of National Education is reportedly going to give something like a "development" report instead of a report card. Aren't they trying to force the education system, which they have ruined for years, into a virtual (artificial) framework? Good grief... 

Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin announced a new practice that will begin in the 2025-2026 academic year. In a statement on December 30, 2024, Minister Tekin announced that as of 2025, report cards will no longer be given to primary school children, and instead, development reports prepared for the children will be provided. "Report cards will be abolished in the new academic year, and Development Reports will take their place!" Can there be school without the excitement of a report card? We shall see. 

It is a matter of curiosity what the mentality that tries to reduce the number of Anatolian High Schools, which are one of the cornerstones of modern education in contemporary Turkey, will produce from this change! In 13 of our provinces, there is not a single high school in the modern sense. It is unbelievable. Yes, where will we end up by converting Anatolian High Schools into Imam Hatip High Schools? Don't they see that we are at the bottom of world rankings in education? What can be expected from the development reports of this government, which cannot even afford a bar of soap for schools? 

At a time when economic difficulties are increasing day by day, it is necessary to remind the government, which is making a special effort to change the agenda, to work on reducing educational expenses. In recent months, educational expenses have even surpassed food costs. They have taken the top spot.  

Education and Health are two basic needs for individuals, families, and the country. They are indispensable! It is a public duty and cannot be left to the private sector. Education and Health cannot be privatized. 

*Semester. It means each of the two periods into which the academic year is divided. Its origin is Latin. This word, which passed into our language from French, is usually misspelled as "sömestr". According to the TDK (Turkish Language Association), the correct usage should be "sömestir".

Prof. Dr. Nurettin Demir