The '9th grade' crisis in education: Families are applying to CİMER

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) implemented a series of new regulations in the 2023-2024 academic year. Among these, the decisions to reintroduce grade repetition and abolish the attendance amnesty, which have caused significant debate, are back on the agenda during the report card period. 

According to the report by Aysel Bozan Yılmaz from Milliyet; under the latest change to the MEB Secondary Education Institutions Regulation, the 50-point average previously required for promotion to the next grade is no longer sufficient. Students with a course average of 50 who fail no more than 3 subjects can now only move to the next grade as responsible students.

Those who fail 4 or more subjects must repeat the grade. The regulation, which began gradually starting from the 2023-2024 academic year, was applied to 9th-grade students starting high school. The old regulation remains in effect for other grades.

CLASSROOMS WILL NOT BE ENOUGH

As report card time arrived, the results of the implementation also emerged. According to information from teachers and school principals, the number of students who will repeat the grade in the 9th grade this year is quite high. In some schools, nearly half of the students will not be able to move to the next grade. 

In some, only 14-15 students out of a 30-person class are able to pass. As a result, a state of panic is being experienced both in schools and among parents. Parents are wearing out the doors of schools and teachers, demanding that their children's grades be raised. Those who cannot come to school are overwhelming teachers by calling or sending messages. Those who do not get the result they want are filing complaints via CİMER.

THE PROBLEM IS LARGE

In the next academic term, there will be an explosion in the number of 9th-grade students, including those repeating this year. In many schools, the number of classrooms will not be enough for the students. Some schools are planning to switch to double-shift education, with morning and afternoon sessions. In some schools, principals have requested that teachers review the grades, and teachers have tried to pass students by raising oral grades for those with scores around 40-45. However, it is still stated that the problem is significant.

"WE DO NOT FIND THIS RIGHT"

Talip Geylan, Chairman of the Turkish Education Union (Türk Eğitim Sen), stated that he finds the Ministry's stance on grade repetition and attendance correct. Saying, "It is unacceptable for demands to be made of teachers to inflate grades," Geylan said: "We are talking about student discipline in education, but we actually need to talk about parent discipline. It is as if the parent and student are treated as customers and the teacher as a shop assistant. We never accept this. There are those who apply to CİMER because their child's grade is low. We do not find this right."

INVESTIGATION OPENED

Noting that there are many incidents reflected to them regarding the subject, Education Union (Eğitim Sen) Branch No. 1 President Mehmet Aydoğdu provided the following information: "In a high school in Ankara's Mamak district, a teacher gives oral grades according to what is deserved, but a parent complains, saying 'My child's grade was not given sufficiently.' The teacher stands behind the grade they gave. Upon this, as a result of the pressure, an investigation is opened against the teacher. Such problems are being experienced."

CONVERTING ABSENCES INTO MEDICAL REPORTS

With another change made in the regulation, students whose unexcused absences exceed 10 days and total absences exceed 30 days are considered unsuccessful, regardless of their course scores. Parents are trying to obtain retroactive medical reports from health institutions so that their children do not repeat the grade due to absenteeism, but this is not possible. It is estimated that the number of students repeating the grade due to absenteeism will also increase compared to previous years.

THE DANGER OF 'INFLATED GRADES'

In a change made in 2017, the MEB announced that institutions giving unfair grades would initially be subject to an administrative fine of 5 times the gross minimum wage, and that in case of repetition of the same act, this fine would be increased by 5 times. Despite this, some institutions do not stop giving inflated grades.