Gov’t to make ‘biggest investment’ in education: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Sept. 12 that the government is on the path to “make the biggest investment” in Türkiye’s education history, noting that regardless of circumstances, the government has always kept education as its priority.

“With the strength that we derive from our educated, faithful and hardworking young people, we are embarking on moves that will make our state have a say in three continents and seven climates,” he said while speaking at the 2022-2023 academic year opening program at Arif Nihat Asya Anatolian High School in Istanbul.

Regardless of the circumstances, the government has never compromised its priority in education, he said. “We have allocated the biggest share from the budget to education every year.”

By doubling the number of our classrooms, we have solved the issue of crowded classes. We have strengthened our army of education by appointing 750,000 new teachers. Saving our schools from dilapidation, we have furnished them with the most advanced equipment.”

Expressing his hope that the 2022-2023 School Year would lead to auspicious results for students, teachers, parents, the whole education community and Türkiye, Erdoğan said: “When we took office 20 years ago, we set the first of the four pillars on which we would elevate our country as education, and the other three as health care, security and justice.”

He emphasized that they provided students with the opportunity to receive education in areas of interest with elective courses, including the Holy Quran and Siyer’i Nebi.

“Moreover, we have made special efforts to ensure that the girls who are left behind are schooled. The schooling rate of girls in secondary education, which was 39 percent before us, has reached 90 percent today,” Erdoğan said.

He emphasized that all these efforts aim to raise successful, moral and virtuous young people who will develop the country, have a say in the world, are well-equipped, educated, researching, and producing added value.

Expressing that he believes that with the support of teachers and parents, they will raise the TEKNOFEST generation in the best possible way, Erdoğan said, “Instead of being enthusiastic about the fake glitter of other countries in the world, we will build the Türkiye of the future with young people who discover their own potential, skills and innovative aspects and mobilize them.”