20,000 teachers have been appointed.

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A program held in Istanbul resulted in the appointment of 20,000 teachers.

20 THOUSAND TEACHERS APPOINTED

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements at the Teacher's Day and appointment program held in Istanbul. Following Erdoğan's speech, the appointment of 20,000 teachers was carried out.

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:

"I am experiencing the joy of meeting with you, our esteemed teachers, in our beloved Istanbul. First of all, I would like to congratulate the Teacher's Day, which we will celebrate tomorrow, on behalf of myself and my nation. I commemorate Martyr Şenay Aybüke Yalçın and our other heroic martyrs with mercy. Today, I wish healthy and long lives to our teachers who are retiring. I thank all our teachers. Today, we are also experiencing another joy. We will witness together the moments of appointment for our 20,000 teacher candidates. Education is a process that gives our children identity and establishes strong ties with the past.

"OUR TEACHERS ARE BRIDGE-BUILDERS CARRYING OUR VALUES TO THE FUTURE"

Our teachers are bridge-builders who carry the values of our nation to the future. Through education, we aim not only to raise individuals with professions but also to nurture generations with free minds, free consciences, and free knowledge. We work day and night for the upbringing of strong generations with solid roots, together with all the members of our large educational family of 1 million teachers. Achieving this ideal is only possible with an understanding that builds character, not just with a diploma or knowledge. Works that will guide humanity can only come from individuals with strong will, upright stance, and established character.

"WE HAVE HARMONIZED THE TURKEY CENTURY EDUCATION MODEL WITH OUR NATION'S CORE VALUES"

Of course, academic success is important, and a diploma is valuable, but these will find their true meaning when they are built on a solid foundation of character. The Turkey Century Education Model is a manifestation of this claim and ideal. We aspire and hope to raise generations that combine knowledge with wisdom and embody virtue in their lives.

Our model, which centers on the historical accumulation, deep-rooted values, and cultural richness of our nation, implements an educational understanding based on scientific approaches that consider the needs of the age. We also aim to raise generations that read, think, question, have a high sense of responsibility, and possess a critical perspective with our new curriculum. We have structured this system with a holistic understanding that focuses on human values, sensitive to learning needs, while considering individual differences. We have grounded our education system on scientific foundations and blended it with our nation's core values. In the new model, we have made cooperation, solidarity, and social responsibility an inseparable part of our education. We prioritized the development and continuity of our children. Protecting and developing our beautiful Turkish language, which is our voice, was also one of the cornerstones of our education model.

"THEY ARE ONCE AGAIN AT WORK TO SABOTAGE"

I believe that our model will meet many needs that we feel lacking as a nation. Breaking prejudices is often as difficult as changing habits, akin to splitting an atom; it is challenging. It is well-known that ideological circles that have held the corners of education in our country resist change, the new, and innovation. We see that the same actors are once again at work to sabotage the Turkey Century Education Model. We cannot allow this archaic mentality to darken the horizons of our children. Addressing the identified problems is the responsibility of our state, educators, and parents towards our children. It is wrong to turn such a vital issue into fodder for ideological struggles and daily political polemics.

"WE KEEP EDUCATION ABOVE POLITICS"

We sincerely hope that the opposition and the professional organizations they collaborate with will quickly correct this mistake. We maintain the principle of keeping education above politics. We will continue to implement our new model, shaped with the contributions of you educators, with determination. We will not hesitate to make any sacrifices for the best, most equipped, and successful upbringing of our youth, who are the guarantee of our bright future. If our teachers provide us with strong support, with God's permission, everything will work more healthily. The budget allocated for education was only 7.5 billion lira in 2002. Today, this figure has reached 1 trillion 620 billion lira, including higher education.

"WE HAVE MADE 800 THOUSAND TEACHER APPOINTMENTS"

We have made a significant transformation in the construction of new classrooms, teacher appointments, physical infrastructure, and curriculum reforms. When we took office, the number of classrooms was 367,000, and today it has increased to a total of 735,000, including both public and private. While developing the infrastructure of education to this extent, we certainly did not neglect our teachers, who are the carriers and pillars of education. We have made 800,000 teacher appointments. In 2002, the number of students per classroom in primary education was 36, and in secondary education, it was 30. We managed to reduce this number to 23 in primary education and 22 in secondary education. The ratios, which were 28 in primary education and 18 in secondary education in 2002, have now decreased to 18 in primary school, 14 in middle school, and 12 in secondary education. These figures are the most concrete evidence of Turkey's unique success story in education over the past 22 years.

"THE SCHOOLING RATE HAS INCREASED TO 96%"

We have indeed taken historically significant steps in the schooling rates of our children. The schooling rate in primary education has risen to 96%, and in secondary education, it has reached 88%. We have removed the barriers placed between our girls and schools, starting with the headscarf ban, one by one. Some people are trying to rewrite recent history. Until yesterday, they speak falsely as if our girls had not been oppressed due to their headscarves, had not been expelled from school, and women had not been dismissed from public service. We personally experienced the pains, oppressions, bans, and every kind of fascism that these circles call nonsense; we lived it to the core.

"33 THOUSAND TEACHERS WERE SUBJECTED TO DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATION ON FEBRUARY 28"

During the February 28 period, under the guise of fighting against reactionism, 6 million of our citizens, including public officials, were profiled. In the Ministry of National Education, 33,000 teachers were subjected to disciplinary investigations. 11,890 teachers received disciplinary penalties, and 11,000 teachers were forced to resign. Our nation was subjected to severe pressures in economics, politics, civil society, and daily life. I do not mention here the persuasion rooms set up at university gates, the successful graduates forcibly removed from the podium, the thousands of our children who left their education in tears, and the young people whose rights were seized by the coefficient system. These occurred 27 years ago in this country, in this city, when the oppressive policies of secularism were rampant.

"IN 2025, 300 THOUSAND TEACHERS WILL BECOME EXPERT AND HEAD TEACHERS"

Opposition circles should confront their past instead of denying these shameful truths.

The rise of society is only possible with the value given to the effort, knowledge, and dedication of its teachers. We are demonstrating a determined stance to secure the rights, reputation, and professional development of our teachers. We have granted a special status by implementing the Teaching Profession Law. By 2025, 300,000 of our teachers will obtain the titles of expert and head teacher. We have introduced deterrent penalties against crimes targeting education workers during their duties. By abolishing the practice of postponing prison sentences, we have made intentional injury a reason for arrest. We see every attack on our teachers as an attack on the future of our nation.

We are determined to raise the bar in education higher every day. The strong hand that nurtures a child's love for learning and hopes for the future is the support and guidance of the family. The family is the first teacher of every child. It is the first school that touches their heart, shapes their mind, and molds their character. Just as the effort of a teacher who embraces their student with affection is invaluable, the support of parents is equally precious and indispensable.

I sincerely believe that each of you will carry out your duties with a strong sense of responsibility and complete dedication. I congratulate you once again on November 24, Teacher's Day. I would like to thank our Minister of National Education and his team for facilitating this beautiful gathering. I especially request that you convey my regards to your students, and I greet each of you with love and respect. Stay healthy.