‘Wonder Child Act’ reenactment on agenda

ISTANBUL

Authorities are considering bringing the "Wonder Child Act" into effect again, which was enforced in 1948 to support young people with artistic and cultural aptitude, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

The act, implemented under the leadership of then Education Minister Hasan Ali Yücel, enabled numerous children of exceptional talent to study abroad with state support and become internationally renowned artists. The first people to benefit from the law that helped uncover highly talented artists were İdil Biret and Suna Kan.

İdil Biret traveled to Paris and enrolled in Nadia Boulanger's class at the age of 7, thanks to the scholarship provided by the state. When she was 13 years old, Suna Kan traveled to Germany for further education, with all of her expenses met by the government until the age of 16.

These two names gained recognition on a global scale, making the nation proud of their achievements.

Verda Erman, at 13 years old, was transferred to the Paris Conservatory in 1957 to study piano, and she assumed the title of State Artist in 1971. Then 15-year-old Ateş Pars studied composition and piano at the same conservatory the same year, subsequently working at the Ankara State Opera in 1964 and composing music all throughout the world.

Gülsin Onay, then 12, and Hüseyin Sermet, then 13, studied piano in 1966 and became State Artists. Emrecan Yavuz, as the last beneficiary of the act, went to Vienna for piano lessons in 1998.

As no one has received a scholarship under this act for 26 years, Ersoy announced that the act would be reexamined during his presentation to the parliament, sparking excitement and enthusiasm in the world of art.

Expressing her feelings on the reintroduction of the act to the local media, Onay said, “The 'Wonder Child Act' was a milestone for many people, including myself, whose skills were discovered at an early age. This law offered a significant contribution to my development, gave me specialized education, and allowed me to showcase myself on global stages. That is why I am fully in favor of the law's reintroduction.”