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Eğitim-Sen reacts to MEB over Ensar Foundation: 'The name involved in the scandal where children were sexually abused...'

The Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) has reacted to the Ministry of National Education (MEB) granting permission to the Ensar Foundation to organize a quiz competition titled 'Sana Emanet' (Entrusted to You) for all middle and high school students across Turkey.

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Eğitim-Sen has reacted via a press statement to the Ministry of National Education's decision to grant the Ensar Foundation permission to organize a quiz competition titled 'Sana Emanet' for all middle and high school students across Turkey.

"SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO VENUES FOR RELIGIOUS EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES"

The press statement issued by Eğitim-Sen included the following remarks:

'In Turkey, formal and non-formal education institutions, primarily schools, have been turned into venues for religious events and activities through protocols signed by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) with religious associations and foundations during the process of conducting educational activities. In addition to practices such as ÇEDES and similar programs carried out in schools through the MEB by religious foundations and communities, led by the Presidency of Religious Affairs, various competitions and events are being held.

"MEB GRANTS PERMISSION TO THE FOUNDATION WHOSE NAME WAS INVOLVED IN THE SCANDAL WHERE 45 CHILDREN WERE SEXUALLY ABUSED..."

The MEB has granted permission to the Ensar Foundation—whose name was involved in the scandal 7 years ago in Karaman where 45 children aged 9-10 were sexually abused and for which the defendants were sentenced to 508 years in prison—to organize a quiz competition titled 'Sana Emanet' for all middle and high school students across the country. It is intended that students and teachers participating in the Ensar Foundation's 'Sana Emanet' competition will first read the books 'Hadith in 40 Lessons' and 'The Quran in 40 Lessons,' published by the foundation's own Ensar Publishing House.

The Ensar Foundation stated the purpose of the 'Sana Emanet' competition for middle and high schools as: 'To make the elective Life of Our Prophet course more effective in middle school. To increase interest in the Siyer (Prophet's biography) course. To ensure the recognition of the Prophet's beautiful morality. To ensure that the Prophet's beautiful morality transforms into virtuous behavior in students. To increase the habit of reading books among students. To teach Quran courses effectively.'

"A TOTAL OF 795 THOUSAND TL IN CASH PRIZES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED"

The competition will be open to 6th and 7th-grade students of all public and private middle schools in Turkey, as well as 9th and 10th-grade high school students and preparatory classes of Imam Hatip high schools. It has been announced that a total of 795 thousand TL in cash prizes will be distributed, with 681 thousand TL going to 608 students who rank in the competition, and 114 thousand TL to 36 teachers and principals. The MEB enters into 'cooperation' protocols with various religious foundations and associations, and MEB-approved competitions are organized in schools. The latest example of this is the Ensar Foundation's 'Sana Emanet' competition, and a circular regarding this competition has been sent to all middle and high schools. While the total prize value of the competition is announced as 795 thousand, the books to be read were published by the Ensar Foundation.

"THE RELIGIOUSIZATION OF EDUCATION IN TURKEY..."

The MEB, which announced the 'Sana Emanet' competition that the Ensar Foundation will hold in May to its entire organization across Turkey via an official letter, has instructed students and teachers to participate in the competition and to create an event report after the event to be sent to the MEB General Directorate of Secondary Education. For years, religious associations and foundations operating under the name of 'civil society organizations,' as expressed by Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, have been conducting religious-themed competitions in schools, and foundation officials have been giving 'religious values education' classes. The long-standing religiousization of education in Turkey has brought with it an increase in various religious activities aimed at schools and students. The fact that the methods, discourses, and materials used in the teaching-learning process in schools are largely organized according to religious rules and references creates serious consequences that negatively affect the nature of schools as educational institutions.

"PAVES THE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SYSTEM"

It is known how much effort provincial and district national education directorates under the MEB have been making for years to spread the activities of religious foundations like the Ensar Foundation. The fact that religious foundations and communities have identified schools as their primary areas of activity paves the way for the construction of a separate religious education system within an education system that has been rapidly religiousized over the years. The true purpose of such events, which are organized in many provinces of Turkey while ignoring the cognitive and emotional development levels of children, is to carry out religious propaganda aimed at students at various educational levels.

"EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES SHOULD NEVER BE MIXED"

People of all religions and beliefs in society and in schools must live under equal conditions and follow the same rules. Secularism is the fundamental condition for ensuring equality among people of different beliefs and religions, and for not granting religious privilege or superiority to any group or sect. For this to be realized, the state and state institutions must remain at an equal distance from all religions, sects, and beliefs, and educational and religious activities should never be mixed.

"THE MEB'S DUTY IS NOT TO ORGANIZE THE ACTIVITIES OF RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS"

The duty of the MEB is to raise children and youth in line with the common universal values of humanity, and to work to take concrete steps that will protect fundamental human rights and the best interests of children, and allow children and youth to access existing knowledge and gain critical thinking skills to realize their potential. The state should not do this according to religious institutions, religious rules, discourses, or references when organizing education and social life. In particular, the education system and schools are institutions that should be organized according to universal and scientific facts and social needs, not by religious rules or activities. The duty of the MEB is not to organize the activities of religious associations and foundations in schools, but to produce permanent solutions to the structural problems of education. All religious-themed events and activities in schools, under any name, should be ended immediately, and the educational process should be carried out by observing the basic principles of educational science and the best interests of the children.'