The lion's share of the Ministry of National Education's budget goes to Imam Hatip schools

In the first half of 2024, the Ministry of National Education (MEB) poured a total of 97.5 billion TL into schools providing religious and vocational education. The amount spent on Imam Hatip schools in 6 months alone was 39.1 billion TL.

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The lion's share of the Ministry of National Education's budget goes to Imam Hatip schools

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) has published its Financial Status and Expectations Report, which includes its expenditures for the first half of 2024 and its projections for the second half. The report revealed how and with what priorities the MEB spent its budget.

Mert Bıldırcın from the newspaper BirGün examined the report and detailed the findings in a news article.

According to the report;

The MEB spent 519 billion 378 million 550 thousand TL in the January-June period of 2024. The ministry's expenditure during this period increased by 111 percent compared to the January-June period of 2023. Personnel expenses accounted for 387 billion 201 million 557 thousand TL of the MEB's 519.3 billion TL expenditure. The MEB's financial data once again revealed that the lion's share of the budget allocated for education was given to schools providing religious and vocational education. A total of 97 billion 566 million 316 thousand 465 TL was spent on religious education schools and vocational and technical education schools in the January-June period of 2024.

117 PERCENT MORE SPENDING COMPARED TO LAST YEAR

While the money spent on religious education schools amounted to 39 billion 194 million 809 thousand 263 TL, the money spent on vocational education schools was recorded as 58 billion 371 million 507 thousand TL. There was a 117 percent increase in the money spent on schools providing religious and vocational education in the January-June 2024 period compared to the same period in 2023. The money spent in six months for religious and vocational education schools alone accounted for 19 percent of the MEB's total expenditure.

According to the six-month financial report, while the MEB spent 39.1 billion TL on Imam Hatip schools and 58.3 billion TL on vocational high schools in the first half of 2024, the money it spent on general secondary education schools, which include science, social sciences, and Anatolian high schools, was 58.6 billion TL.

The money spent by some directorates affiliated with the MEB in the January-June 2024 period is listed as follows:

• General Directorate of Innovation and Educational Technologies: 273 million 852 thousand TL

• General Directorate of Support Services: 922 million 455 thousand TL

• General Directorate of Basic Education: 1 billion 28 million TL

• General Directorate of Teacher Training and Development: 168 million 305 thousand TL

News Source: 12punto