Yusuf Tekin's remarks on trigonometry: 'We wanted them to learn it if they need it'

Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin spoke at the “Turkey Century Education Model Classroom Teaching Trainer Training” program held in Kızılcahamam.

Stating that they have taken steps to eliminate criticisms that the education curriculum is too heavy with the 'Turkey Century Education Model' and that the programs have been lightened by over 30 percent in total, Tekin reopened the topic of trigonometry, which was removed from the curriculum last year and caused public backlash, and made remarkable 'evaluations'.

“We moved some learning outcomes outside the compulsory education age,” said Tekin, adding, “This does not mean that we think those outcomes are not scientific. We thought it would be more appropriate for our children to receive them in their later educational processes.”

Tekin continued as follows:

"It was debated a lot last year, 'they removed trigonometry.' As if we are against it, as if we think trigonometry is not something scientific; we don't think anything of the sort, friends. We only wanted our children who need to learn trigonometry to learn it when they go to the relevant faculties. Isn't it a shame? We are teaching things that should be taught at the undergraduate level at the basic education level, in middle schools. These kinds of things are being taught under the heading of scientific theories to children who don't even know what is scientific yet."