Friday gap in universities: Course schedules adjusted for prayer

No classes have been scheduled for Fridays at the Istanbul University Faculty of Law, one of Turkey's first and most prominent law schools.

The only class scheduled for Fridays, a two-hour History of the Revolution course for first-year students, will be held remotely.

Former CHP deputy and economist Nur Serter described the situation in her column as "the implementation of the demand by anti-revolutionary circles to 'declare Fridays a holiday' within the faculty."

Nur Serter's article on 12punto

https://12punto.com.tr/yazarlar/fatma-nur-serter/istanbul-universitesi-hukuk-fakultesinde-cuma-tatili-99868

IS IT ONLY ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY?

Burak Çetiner, head of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) Istanbul No. 6 Universities Branch, stated that this practice is being implemented in many universities. Çetiner made the following remarks:

"In many universities, this is implemented sometimes in specific departments by the decision of the dean, and sometimes across the entire university by the decision of the administration. No classes are scheduled between 12:00 and 14:00 on Fridays. For example, at both Istanbul Technical University and Marmara University, no classes are scheduled during these two hours. It is explicitly stated that when preparing the course schedule, times should be set in accordance with Friday prayer hours. This situation not only contradicts the principle of secularism in education but also leads to discriminatory practices regarding freedom of religion and conscience."

News Source: 12punto