Turkish Education in A Chanching World: Facts and Anternatives

Abstract

The study presents the educational outlooks of ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ cultures through a historical and comparative framework, showing with statistical data that educational problems are not the monopoly of developing nations. The fact that the so-called ‘developed’ societies also seem to violate the philosophies underlying universal documents of human rights is illustrated through data from those societies. Likewise, the Turkish educational system is presented through a historical framework; the reasons why compulsory education has been extended to eight years are stated. The paper emphasizes the point that a truly humane educational framework, respectful of human rights as stated in universal documents and focusing on the aim of education as “the means of the human being to search for his/her humanity ” cannot be imported from other cultures which are plagued with their own educational problems. The characteristics of such an education as perceived by the author are delineated.