18 million students to start new academic year

ANKARA

DHA photo

Almost 18 million students and 900,000 teachers, as well as more than 300,000 Syrian students, will start the first day of the academic year on Sept. 28.

Students and teachers will start their first day of school in 600,000 classrooms in public and private schools across the country. Meanwhile, classrooms for Syrian refugee children increased this year. During the previous academic year, 38,757 Syrian students attended schools under the Education Ministry. Camp education centers increased from a 199,000 student capacity to 299,000 student capacity this year for Syrian refugees. In total, 370,000 Syrian students will attend schools across Turkey, which hosts more than 2.2 million Syrians.

The beginning of the new academic year, originally set for Sept. 14, was delayed to Sept. 28 when tourism agencies demanded the government to shift the date to attract domestic tourists during Eid-el-Ahda between Sept. 24 and 27. The academic year will end June 17, 2016. 

This year, 1.1 million children will start primary school for the first time, while around 1.2 million others will start preschool. 

The first week will be orientation for those starting preschool, primary school or secondary school for the first time.

The half-term will be between Jan. 25 and Feb. 5, 2016, according to the academic calendar. The academic year for 2016-2017 will start Sept. 19, 2016.