Regulation on 'book fees' in private schools: Fees can no longer be charged

The 'Regulation on Amending the Regulation on Private Educational Institutions' of the Ministry of National Education has been published in the Official Gazette.

The regulation introduced changes to the provisions regarding the fees of private educational institutions.

When determining the fees for services other than lunch, breakfast, and shuttle services for intermediate grades, such as boarding, uniforms, tutoring, international diploma, and certificate programs, the fee announced in the previous academic year will be taken into account, while for students continuing at the school, the fee determined in the student enrollment contract will be considered.

NO TEXTBOOK FEES WILL BE CHARGED

These fees will not be increased by more than the average domestic producer price index (D-PPI) of the previous year plus half of the average consumer price index (CPI) of the previous year. Thanks to the regulation, these fees will only be increased at the rate of inflation.

Furthermore, private schools will not be able to charge any fees under the name of textbooks.

FEES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE

Schools will not be able to make exorbitant increases in the tuition fees they determine for the start of kindergarten, primary school, middle school, and high school levels. Institutions will publish all the fees they determine on the institution's website. All fees to be collected in return for other services, along with tuition fees, will be collected by depositing them into the account number opened on behalf of the institution and notified to the Ministry of National Education and the governor's office.

According to the Law on Private Educational Institutions, the application conditions for private educational institutions for children of martyrs, veterans, and children under protection, who are given priority in free education, as well as the procedures and transactions to be carried out by the governor's offices and similar matters, will be regulated in the guide prepared by the Ministry of National Education (MEB).

In addition, these children will be able to benefit from services such as lunch, breakfast, boarding, books-stationery, uniforms, tutoring, international diploma and certificate programs, and similar services free of charge, excluding shuttle fees, from the private educational institutions where they are placed.

SPECIAL UNIFORMS CANNOT BE MANDATED

With the regulation, the provisions of the 'Regulation on the Clothing and Uniforms of Students in Schools Affiliated to the Ministry of National Education' will now also be applied in private schools.

Schools, including those that have signed brand license agreements, will not be able to engage in practices that prevent parents from obtaining uniforms under free market conditions or that force parents to obtain them from an electronic commerce environment determined by the institutions. Special uniforms that would impose a financial burden on parents cannot be mandated for use in in-class and extracurricular activities during special days, weeks, and celebrations.

Private children's clubs operating under the 'Regulation on the Establishment and Operating Principles of Private Nurseries and Day Care Centers and Private Children's Clubs' must apply to open an institution by meeting the standards determined by the Ministry of National Education for one of the private educational institutions other than private education and rehabilitation centers, private motor vehicle driver courses, and private transport services vocational training and development courses within 1 year from the date of publication of the regulation; if they do so, an institution opening permit and a workplace opening and operating license will be issued.

The regulation also made it mandatory to assign a guidance teacher or psychological counselor in private teaching courses.

STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTERS ARE COMING

The regulation also defined 3 new types of institutions that will operate under the Ministry of National Education.

The first of these is 'student activity centers,' where primary school-aged students are provided with education in social, cultural, artistic, and sports fields in line with their interests, desires, and talents, and support is offered for the individual completion of their homework and projects. In student activity centers, programs in foreign language, personal development, computer, music, performing arts, handicrafts, sports, ethics, and values groups approved by the Ministry of National Education will be applied for this type of institution.

Primary school students will be able to attend the programs on weekdays outside of school hours or on weekends.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED

In addition, a new type of institution called 'guidance and psychological counseling centers' has been defined, where professional psychological support can be provided individually or in groups to help individuals know themselves, improve their decision-making and problem-solving skills, and increase their psychological well-being; and where training can be provided for individuals to improve themselves and increase their professional knowledge and skills in the field of guidance and psychological counseling.

Psychological counseling services will be provided to individuals and groups in these institutions, and programs approved by the MEB such as educational counseling, academic anxiety, peer bullying, addiction, child education and family, psychological first aid, and meaning in life can be applied for this type of institution.

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED

Another type of institution defined by the amendment to the regulation is 'language, speech, and occupational therapy centers.' In these institutions, individual and group training will be provided in the fields of language and speech and occupational therapy in order to improve individuals' communication skills and speech fluency, to help them acquire voice characteristics appropriate to their age, gender, and culture, to increase their adaptation to their environment, and to ensure their social participation.

In language, speech, and occupational therapy centers, programs approved by the MEB such as language development, speech acoustics, childhood language development, daily living activities, and fluent speech will be applied for this type of institution.

'TURKISH' LESSONS IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

As of September 1, 2025, lessons on Turkish language and Turkish history will be taught in international private educational institutions that implement programs other than the Turkish program, in line with the weekly course schedules approved by the ministry.

Natural and legal persons who wish to provide consultancy and examination services to students who want to study abroad within the framework of intercultural student exchange programs or to students coming from abroad to study in Turkey will carry out these activities according to the procedures and principles determined by the MEB.

In the event that it is determined that an educational institution was opened by submitting false information or documents, the governor's office will take the necessary measures, the institution's opening permit and workplace opening and operating license will be canceled, and a criminal complaint will be filed against those involved.

REGULATION REGARDING BRAND LICENSING

A regulation was also made regarding institutions that sign brand license agreements.

Accordingly, for a founder to be able to allow other natural or legal persons to use the brand of a private educational institution by signing a brand license agreement, it will be required that there are at least 5 institutions of the same type and that each of these institutions has been in operation for at least 5 years. Founders will be able to allow other natural or legal persons to use their brand for up to 3 times the number of their institutions that meet these conditions.

This regulation will enter into force in one month, and this condition will not be sought for private educational institutions that received an institution opening permit and a workplace opening and operating license from the Ministry of National Education before the date it enters into force. However, these conditions will need to be met for brand license agreements to be made by these institutions after the date the regulation enters into force.

Schools' international diploma and certificate programs will be implemented in accordance with the general provisions of the Ministry of National Education International Diploma and Certificate Programs Implementation Directive. If schools wish to implement these programs, they will need to have their weekly course schedules prepared in accordance with the program approved by the Ministry of National Education by September 1, 2025.

News Source: 12punto

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