Scandals in 'Project School' assignments continue: 15-year veteran teacher assigned nowhere, left unemployed!

Hazal Güven - 12punto.com.tr

The latest assignments made under the "project school" practice, which the AKP implemented in 2014, have resulted in what is essentially a purge of teachers. Within the scope of the practice, schools that are entered with the highest scores, such as Cağaloğlu Anatolian, Kabataş Boys', Pertevniyal, Beşiktaş Atatürk Anatolian, and Kadıköy Anatolian High School, were included in the "project school" scope. Last month, the preference period for teachers working in project schools arrived, and the results were announced at the beginning of the week.

However, a purge of teachers emerged from the assignments. A large number of teachers working in high schools within the project school scope were assigned to other schools. The assignments have caused an outcry among both high school students, who were separated from their teachers, and unions. Moreover, in many instances, it has emerged that the teachers sent away from their schools were known for their 'dissenting' attitudes, and in many other cases, the assignments were left to the discretion of the principals working at the schools.

However, the scandals regarding the assignments do not end there. It has emerged that some teachers working in project schools were not assigned anywhere and were left unemployed. A teacher who is a 15-year educator and learned that they were not even assigned to the school where they have worked for the last 7 years explained the process to 12punto.

'WE WILL WORK WITH THE TEACHERS WE WANT'

"Preferences were made a short time ago. The preference results were announced at the beginning of the week. Now, this is something being done for the first time. It is called 'Assignment in Project Schools.' This is not a normal assignment. 1-2 months ago, they had us make preferences for Project Schools. In the preferences, everyone can choose their own school. We were told, 'If you choose your own school, you will be placed there.' This was the case for many teachers as well. However, a few teachers like me were not assigned despite choosing our own school. We were not placed in another school either. We were left in limbo like this."

So, were you given any justification?

"They did not provide any justification. They did not say, 'Your assignment did not happen because of this.' Nothing like this has ever happened before. 'Project school' now means 'we will work with the teachers we want, and those we don't want will not work; even if we don't base this on any reason, we want it this way.' I have been working at my school for 7 years, and when I started, this was not a project school. I think it has been about 3 years since it was declared a project school."

So, what do you plan to do?

"We have submitted our petitions. We requested information on why we were not assigned, and we also objected to the situation, demanding that our assignments be made. Apart from this, we are in talks with unions. If we do not receive a positive response to our petitions, a legal process will begin. Because nothing in the country works healthily, because the law does not work, I see this this way now too. They can make changes as they wish, unlawfully, without even providing any justification."