ÇEDES protest in Datça: 'It is an extremely dangerous step'

In the Datça district of Muğla, members of Eğitim Sen distributed leaflets to citizens to protest the entry of imams into schools as part of the "I Am Sensitive to My Environment, I Protect My Values" (ÇEDES) project.

'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...'

According to a report in BirGün Ege, Eğitim Sen Datça Representative Seyran Sakarya stated that while no solutions are being produced for the many problems in education, a new practice aimed at religious indoctrination is being implemented every day.

Sakarya said, "The steps toward religious indoctrination taken by the AKP government, which ignore the most fundamental principles of educational science and the developmental processes of students, have begun to create intense psychological pressure on students and parents. The implemented ÇEDES project is an extremely dangerous step that threatens both the future of our students and the goal of a society that lives in equality, freedom, secularism, and peace."

"VIOLATES ARTICLE 128 OF THE CONSTITUTION"

Emphasizing that the ÇEDES project, which was launched as a pilot application despite public objections, has spread across the entire country and that participation in its activities has turned into a mandate, Sakarya said, "ÇEDES does not center on the principles of secular and scientific education or organization according to pedagogical needs, but rather on religious and spiritual values. In this respect, it is clearly contrary to the provision in Article 42 of the Constitution that 'education shall be secular and scientific.' With this protocol, education has been removed from being a scientific process provided by teachers with pedagogical training in schools, and has granted imams, preachers, and various religious officials the authority to give lessons to students in schools and even in environments outside of school. This situation is also contrary to Article 128 of the Constitution," she said.

Sakarya concluded by stating the following:

"What our schools and students need are not imams and religious officials, but more teachers, classrooms suitable for education, laboratories equipped with technology, sports halls, and art workshops. The ministry, which denies our students one free meal in schools while they face poverty and even hunger due to the economic policies pursued by the government, must stop trying to cover up the stark realities with religious and spiritual values."