Ministry directive on 'municipal daycares': Prevent the opening of new facilities

The Ministry of National Education's General Directorate of Private Education Institutions sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, reporting that field inspections revealed the existence of facilities opened under the name of municipal daycares, and that these facilities were conducting activities included in the curriculum of preschool education institutions operating under the Private Education Institutions Law No. 5580, and were carrying out educational activities within this scope.

DIRECTIVE TO PREVENT THE OPENING OF NEW FACILITIES

The letter, which noted that the Constitutional Court had annulled the provision in the Municipal Law stating that "municipalities may open preschool education institutions" with its 2007 ruling, requested that municipalities be warned regarding unauthorized educational activities, that the opening of new facilities be prevented, and that municipalities be informed to act according to legal provisions regarding existing facilities.

Following the letter from the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change's General Directorate of Local Administrations also sent the letter through provincial directorates to the governorates where municipalities with daycares are located, and to the relevant municipalities for information.

The letter recalled the aforementioned communication from the Ministry of National Education and requested that municipalities be warned against unauthorized educational activities to prevent activities contrary to Law No. 5580, that the opening of new facilities be prevented, and that action be taken regarding existing facilities in accordance with the aforementioned provisions.

The letter from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change's General Directorate of Local Administrations is as follows:

"In the letter forwarded to our Ministry's General Directorate of Local Administrations by the Ministry of National Education's General Directorate of Private Education Institutions, it is stated that field inspections conducted by their Ministry revealed the existence of facilities opened under the name of municipal daycares, that these facilities were conducting activities included in the curriculum of preschool education institutions operating under the Private Education Institutions Law No. 5580, and were carrying out educational activities within this scope. Referring to the relevant legislation and the Constitutional Court's decision dated 24.1.2007 and numbered 2005/95 E., which annulled the section '...may open preschool education institutions...' of clause (b) of the first paragraph of the 'Municipal Law' No. 5393 on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, it is stated that such facilities continue to operate and new ones are being opened. Therefore, I kindly request your information and necessary action to warn municipalities against unauthorized educational activities to prevent activities contrary to Law No. 5580, to prevent the opening of new facilities, and to act in accordance with the aforementioned provisions regarding existing facilities."

"THE PUBLIC IS PLEASED, BUT ERDOĞAN HAS A STOMACHACHE"

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made a statement on his social media account regarding the development. In his statement, Özel used the following expressions:

"CHP municipalities are opening daycares, the public is pleased, but Erdoğan has a stomachache! A directive has been sent to the governorates; 'Do not let them open new daycares, close the old ones.' If you lay a hand on the daycare of a poor person's child, we will stand in your way. Go ahead and close them, I dare you!"