Minister Tekin: Fatma teacher's name given to the school where she served

Attending the AKP Provincial Advisory Council Meeting in Karaman, where he arrived for a series of visits and inspections, Minister of National Education Tekin expressed his condolences to the family of biology teacher Fatma Nur Çelik, who lost her life as a result of a knife attack by a student at the school where she worked in Çekmeköy. Tekin noted that the name of the Taşdelen Borsa İstanbul Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, where Çelik served, has been changed to Fatma Nur Çelik Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.

Stating that great services have been provided in the field of education investments throughout Turkey, Minister Tekin emphasized that a major breakthrough has been achieved in education during the AK Party government period, saying, "We have truly done revolutionary work regarding education. In 2002, the Prime Minister of the time, Bülent Ecevit, launched the 'Letters to the Centenary of the Republic' project. Those letters reached me in 2023 via PTT. Our teachers wrote, 'I hope I can teach in classes of 45-50 people in the 100th year of the republic, our children will not have to go outside the school to use the restroom, there will be one computer in our school.' These letters were written in 2002, not that long ago. Currently, all of our 650 thousand classrooms have smart boards with internet access. A United Nations report states that Turkey is the only country in the world where almost all classrooms have interactive boards. We said that the children of this country should not be condemned to blackboards, classes of 80 people, and schools without restrooms, and we have built truly beautiful schools," he said.

"DEFENDING LGBT DOES NOT DISTURB THE PEACE OF SOCIETY, BUT WEARING A HEADSCARF DOES?"

Stating that they have also achieved great things in terms of democratization in education, Minister Tekin said that before 2002, clothing was a problem for entering school. Recalling a constitutional amendment that the Republican People's Party (CHP) took to the Constitutional Court in 2008, Tekin said, "The MHP and the AK Party made a constitutional amendment that day. The only thing we did was to say, 'Let there be no problem with entering university with a headscarf; no one can be deprived of their right to education because of their clothing.' Now I ask, why would an opposition party be uncomfortable with this?

If the Republican People's Party says, 'We did wrong that day, we apologize,' then let them come out and apologize. Let them say, 'We thought that way back then. Today, we also want such a constitutional amendment.' You said back then, 'You are allowing it for students today, but what will we do if public employees also cover up tomorrow? This is against secularism.' Now I ask, have public employees done something against secularism when they cover their heads?

In 2008, you saw this as against secularism. Do you still see it as against secularism today? If you did wrong that day, apologize. They said, 'If university students go to university with their heads covered, the peace of society will be disturbed.' You defend LGBT. Does defending LGBT not disturb the peace of society, but wearing a headscarf does?" he said.

Minister Tekin noted that the Ministry of National Education is important in terms of establishing concepts such as patriotism, altruism, solidarity, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Stating that they issued the "Ramadan in the Heart of Education" circular so that Ramadan can be fully experienced in schools, Minister Tekin said that the activities are carried out on a voluntary basis and by respecting the principle of privacy.

Stating that he filed a criminal complaint against the declaration published following the circular, Minister of National Education Tekin said, "We issued a circular so that our children can experience Ramadan together with society. All hell broke loose. 168 people published a declaration. Friends, 99 percent of society shows respect for Ramadan. I have to take a person who insults my nation's values and my nation's consciousness of national unity and solidarity to the judiciary. I filed a criminal complaint because they insulted the values of the nation," he said.

Following the meeting, Tekin attended an iftar program held at the İbn-i Sina Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School before leaving Karaman.

News Source: İHA