Clothing lesson for female teachers from the Ministry of National Education!

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) continues its reactionary steps. The ministry is launching a "clothing lesson" for female teachers. It has emerged that many district directorates in Istanbul, primarily the Beykoz District Directorate of National Education, have signed a protocol with "Enstitü Sosyal," which is managed by Presidential Chief Advisor and AKP Eskişehir Deputy Ayşen Gürcan, and that within the scope of this protocol, a course on "Appearance and Dress Codes for Effective Teaching" will be provided to female teachers. An official letter was sent to school principals by the Beykoz District Directorate of National Education. Female teachers who wish to attend the training to be provided by Enstitü Sosyal were asked to fill out a form.

'WE WILL RAISE THE FLAG'

A statement regarding this development came from the Union of All Teachers (TÖB-SEN). The statement from the union said, "We, as women, believe that the Ministry of National Education should focus on solving the fundamental problems in education rather than such initiatives where a certain mentality is imposed. Especially when they themselves are the primary cause of these problems. The Ministry of National Education has sought to entrust schools to religious sects and communities with a project like ÇEDES. Now, the same mentality is trying to force women into a mold with their own ideological approaches."

"Introducing such training during a period when teachers are experiencing financial difficulties means ignoring economic realities. It is not your place to give a clothing lesson to female teachers. As women of the secular Republic, we will never bow to your attempts to create an ideological, uniform type of female teacher. We, as women, will always raise the flag of secularism everywhere, in schools, on the streets, and everywhere else," the statement read.

'THEY AIM TO TRANSFORM SOCIETY'

Evaluating the practice for Cumhuriyet, educator Nurcan Korkmaz asked, "They continue their goals of transforming society through education. They are trying to create a new culture with the clothing of teachers. They came with the rhetoric of 'my headscarved sister,' they moved past that, and now they aim to transform non-headscarved teachers into this. There is already a directive, what more are you going to do? Are you going to say wear your skirt longer? Are you going to create a new model through women's bodies?" Korkmaz said, "We also do not know which religious community this structure is affiliated with. None of the structures with which the ministry signs protocols defend the values of the Republic. They aim to strengthen the religious understanding of education by trying to passivize the presence of women in education."

News Source: 12punto