‘Türkiye consists of 30,000 advanced learners in 15-age group’

Nuran Çakmakçı - ISTANBUL

Türkiye consists of some 30,000 advanced learners in the 15-age group, according to PISA and TIMSS assessments, says a member of the UNESCO Specialized Committee on Education.

Prof. Dr. Eren Ceylan, a member of the UNESCO Specialized Committee on Education whose main subject is international assessment research in education, was struck by a striking result in recent studies.

“A special environment should be prepared for our top students to carry out research and development activities that may be suitable for them in the future. Research shows that the probability of these young people leaving the country in the future remained stable between 2005 and 2015 but accelerated after 2015,” Ceylan stated.

Ceylan said that students with higher levels of proficiency determine the future of the country, adding that international monitoring and evaluation studies in education have increased worldwide, such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

“In PISA, there are six different proficiency levels in reading, science and mathematics literacy. Among these levels, the fifth and sixth proficiency level is defined as the highest. Students at this level are seen as ‘human resources necessary for the economic development of countries.’ At the age of 15, these students at the highest proficiency level are individuals who can ‘cope with long and abstract texts, demonstrate mathematical thinking and reasoning skills, and distinguish between information and opinions based on scientific evidence.’”

Stressing that there are 29,444 students in this 15-year-old age group in Türkiye, Ceylan said there are not enough jobs in the country for these students to work in the future.