Ministry of National Education sets a limit, but private school fees hit record highs

In private schools across Turkey, which are preferred by thousands of families, fees for the new term have begun to be announced. Although the Ministry of National Education (MEB) has imposed an upper limit on fee increases for the first time this year, the figures set for children starting primary school and the first year of high school have exceeded 1 million TL.

UPPER LIMIT IMPOSED ON HIKE RATES

With the regulation introduced by the MEB, the maximum hike rate that can be applied to school fees cannot exceed 1.5 times the average of the Domestic PPI and CPI in December 2025. In this context, while the highest individual hike rate for entry-level grades was set at 43.92%, it was limited to 30.74% for intermediate grades. However, the announced prices indicate that economic difficulties in accessing education are deepening.

FEES IN ISTANBUL PRIVATE SCHOOLS EXCEED 1 MILLION TL

During this period, significant increases in new registration fees have occurred at some prestigious schools in Istanbul. At TED Istanbul College, the annual fee for the 1st grade of primary school reached 1 million 68 thousand 606 TL, and for the 1st year of high school, it reached 1 million 187 thousand 340 TL. At ENKA Istanbul Schools, 1 million 674 thousand 697 TL was requested for kindergarten, and 1 million 564 thousand 47 TL for primary and 1st-year high school students. On the other hand, while the kindergarten price at Terakki Foundation Schools rose to 784 thousand 463 TL, fees for primary and 1st-2nd year high school students were announced as 910 thousand 761 TL. At Bilfen Schools, the annual primary school fee reached 1 million 432 thousand TL.

SOME SCHOOLS KEPT HIKE RATES LOW

Some educational institutions preferred to keep their hike rates below the legal limit. At Fide Schools, the annual fee for students starting primary school was announced as 775 thousand TL, noting that there was only a 5% increase compared to last year. At Üsküdar American Academy and SEV American College, preparatory class fees have not yet been announced; however, SEV College stated that it applied a hike between 8-12% for intermediate grades.

200 THOUSAND STUDENTS LEFT PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE LAST 5 YEARS

Zafer Öztürk, President of the Turkish Private Schools Association, said, "Private schools are following balanced pricing policies to avoid losing students," and stated that over 200 thousand students have left private schools in the last five years, and more than a thousand schools have had to close.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS' SHARE IN EDUCATION IS INCREASING

According to the Turkey Private Schools Sector Report, the number of private schools has increased by 700% in the last quarter-century, reaching 14 thousand 700. While the share of private institutions among total schools in the country has risen to 19.85%, this rate has increased to 41.22% at the preschool level and 24.81% at the high school level. Private schools also play a significant role in teacher employment; 177 thousand 738 teachers work in private educational institutions in the country.

News Source: 12punto