Türk Eğitim-Sen Chairman Geylan: 'Make teacher appointments based on KPSS scores'

Türk Eğitim-Sen Chairman Talip Geylan issued a written press statement following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 academic year.

Geylan stated that the 2023-2024 academic year was marked by the Teaching Profession Law (ÖMK), and expressed that after the Constitutional Court annulled the press articles in the ÖMK, the regulations to be submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) along with new arrangements should be shared with the public.

Geylan expressed opposition to the provision in the draft requiring teachers with 10 years of service to apply for expert teacher status and expert teachers with 10 years of experience to apply for head teacher status, stating, “Reducing these periods by half is among our union's most important demands. Because the promise on this matter was given by the previous Minister of National Education. Considering that the Ministry of National Education (MEB) is managed by ministers of the same government, it is essential that this promise be fulfilled,” he said.

Underlining that a Compulsory Service compensation ranging from one to two gross minimum wages should be included in the Law to encourage working in unfavorable regions, Geylan stated that this practice would also solve the problem of teacher shortages.

Noting that a merit-based administrator appointment system should be introduced, Geylan emphasized that appointments of teachers and administrators to project schools should also be tied to criteria.

In his statement, Geylan expressed that as Türk Eğitim-Sen, they are against distinctions such as permanent, contracted, and paid teachers, and touched upon the necessity for all teachers to serve as secure and permanent staff according to Article 4/A of the Civil Servants Law No. 657.

"DO NOT LEAVE THE STATE'S WORD HANGING IN THE AIR"

Stating that interviews should be abolished in teacher appointments, Geylan said, “Interviews should not even be a last resort. It is not correct to claim that you will make a practice that is not transparent and centers on favoritism fair and impartial.

Therefore, if the problem is the quality of the teachers being trained, what needs to be done is, first of all, to open teacher high schools, to guide our young people whose goal is teaching from the high school period, to ensure that our students who finish high school and still carry the same goal enter faculties of education, to allow them to work in the field while they are students, and subsequently, to make appointments via KPSS after they graduate.

Furthermore, the entrance scores for faculties of education should be raised, just like medical schools, and qualified students should be admitted to these faculties. Moreover, although there are interviews in the legislation, candidates have been given interview scores commensurate with their KPSS scores since 2018. However, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin insists on making appointments with 50 percent KPSS and 50 percent interview scores.

In fact, interviews will begin on July 1st. Above all, interviews in teacher appointments both invalidate the system that is actually being implemented and violate the promise the President made regarding interviews before the May 14 elections. I am calling on Yusuf Tekin once again; come and fulfill the declaration of will made by the President. Do not leave the state's word hanging in the air. Make the appointments of our teachers based solely on their KPSS scores,” he stated.

Stating that according to research conducted by the union across Turkey, 72 thousand 723 paid teachers are working in 79 provinces and the norm staff requirement is 101 thousand 350, Geylan expressed that additional appointments should be made as the recent 20 thousand appointments would be insufficient.

"THE CURRICULUM MUST BE REVISED"

Stating that there may be shortcomings in the implementation process of the new curriculum and that for this reason, revisions should be made in line with the opinions and suggestions of teachers, Geylan continued his statement as follows:

“A national education system in terms of its content and goals, and a contemporary and scientific one in terms of its methods and tools, is what Turkey needs. At this point, we would like to draw attention to the following issue regarding the new curriculum: You can prepare the curriculum in the most perfect way on paper, but what is essential is its implementation. And it is our teachers who will implement the curriculum.

No project, including the curriculum, will achieve the desired success without completing the professional and personal development of teachers, without making education workers peaceful, and without taking measures to increase their motivation.

It is also of great importance that our teachers are informed about the curriculum before the new academic year begins, and that materials are prepared and delivered to teachers according to the learning outcomes and lesson contents. There is a short time ahead, and the MEB must act quickly.

We will also closely follow the implementation process of the curriculum. The MEB should also take into account the criticisms from our colleagues during the implementation process. Because shortcomings may emerge after it is put into practice. When necessary, the curriculum should be revised in line with the suggestions of our colleagues.”

News Source: İHA