Unsuccessful ninth graders to go to vocational training centers
Esra Ülkar – ANKARA
The Education Ministry has launched a project to send ninth graders who have failed their year to vocational training centers.
A senior official at the ministry told daily Hürriyet that thanks to a new regulation, those who graduate from these vocational training centers will now be considered as a “high school graduate.”
“Graduates of vocational training centers used to receive [just] a certificate of mastership, but with a new regulation undertaken this year, those who graduate from these centers will be able to get high school diplomas,” the head of the ministry’s directorate-general for vocational and technical education, Kemal Varın Numanoğlu, told daily Hürriyet.
“Previously, students did not prefer these places [vocational training centers] since they could not receive a diploma. But now, those whose academic success is low, who need to repeat their year can prefer these centers, if they wish so. They can improve their skills here and also get a diploma in these places. And they will have the rights of a high school graduate,” he said, adding that they will also have the right to enter the university exam once they complete their classes at these centers.
Accordingly, the ministry has launched an effort to determine the ninth graders who have failed their year and need to repeat it and to inform them about the existence of vocational training centers. For the promotion of these vocational training centers, the ministry will get support from non-governmental organizations, trade associations, and media organizations.
“With the promotion of these centers, we are providing an opportunity to students where they can acquire the skills for a profession,” said Numanoğlu.
There are currently 323 vocational training centers across Turkey, with an enrollment of about 100,000 students. According to research by the ministry, the employment level of students who graduate from these centers stands at 88 percent. The research took the graduates of 2017-2018 education year as a base.
The education at these centers consists of two legs: theoretical education at the center and practical/hands-on training at an enterprise. The students are provided with education and training specific to a certain profession. At the end of their 11th grade, students get a journeyman’s certificate, whereas at the end of their 12th grade, a certificate of mastership.
Students take their theoretical classes at the center for one day, whereas for the rest of the week go to the relevant enterprise to receive their practical training. The enterprises are obliged to have them registered for insurance and give them a salary that is not less than 30 percent of the minimum wage.
