Schools have turned into dumps! Cleaning funds flowed to religious foundations and associations

With the start of the 2024-25 academic year, the issue of cleaning and hygiene in schools has returned to the agenda. 

As the need for personnel and supplies has not been met, many schools have been forced to be cleaned by parents and teachers. 

The Ministry of National Education, however, continues to provide support to sects and religious community foundations operating under the guise of NGOs instead of covering cleaning and personnel expenses. 

IT WILL REACH 7.85 BILLION LIRA

According to the report by Deniz Ayhan from Sözcü; Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin stated in a speech at the Turkish Grand National Assembly some time ago, “We have 2,709 protocols. Among these, we have protocols with structures you call sects and communities, and we call NGOs, and we will continue to make protocols with them.”

This year, 5 billion 895 million 926 thousand TL was transferred from the MEB budget to foundations and associations. It is projected that 7 billion 8 million 636 thousand TL will be paid from this item in 2025.

OBSTACLE TO MUNICIPALITIES

CHP-run municipalities took action to provide cleaning services to schools, but the MEB, which called the cleaning problem in schools “isolated,” rejected this request. 

Finally, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş said that 113 of the 271 schools that requested cleaning withdrew their requests, and that school principals were sent messages saying, ‘Do not ask for anything from the municipality.’

Infectious diseases specialist Prof. Dr. Özlem Kurt Azap warned the authorities: Our children are under the threat of epidemic diseases

Insufficient cleaning supplies and a lack of personnel in schools are driving students into difficult educational conditions. Necessary hygiene standards are not being met in classrooms, restrooms, and cafeterias in schools where students are educated.  The disruption of cleaning in schools has become a serious health threat. Infectious diseases specialist Prof. Dr. Özlem Kurt Azap pointed out that the lack of cleaning and hygiene in schools paves the way for many infectious diseases.

Azap’s statements are as follows:

THIS IS HOW EPIDEMICS START

Respiratory diseases are at the forefront of these; influenza, the common cold, and even tuberculosis can grow rapidly in inadequate hygiene conditions.

In addition to respiratory diseases, intestinal diseases also pose a danger to children. If surfaces are not cleaned, bacteria such as norovirus, rotavirus, and salmonella can spread rapidly. Diseases that might not come to mind at first, such as chickenpox and mumps, can also spread when proper cleaning is not performed.

Students being educated in inadequate hygiene conditions is a significant factor in the transmission of diseases. It affects both students and teachers, as well as the relatives of students and teachers at home. This is how epidemics start.

 Ventilation of classrooms is very important. In addition to these, it is very important to clean inanimate surfaces, such as classroom door handles and windows, at regular intervals. It is also very important for students to pay attention to their own hygiene.