19.08.2025 04:04
Despite the statements of the Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, that "registration fees cannot be charged in schools," many public schools are demanding payments from parents under the name of "donations" before the new school year. In fact, these amounts can reach up to 400,000 Turkish lira.
The Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, has repeatedly warned that "It is not possible to collect registration fees or class-section selection fees in our schools," but the situation faced by parents before the new school year has not changed.
FORCED PAYMENT UNDER THE NAME OF "DONATION"
As the 2025-2026 Academic Year approaches, it has been claimed that high amounts are being demanded from parents under the name of "donation" in many public schools. It is reported that some parents are facing registration fees of up to 400 thousand lira.
DEBATE ON INEQUALITY
The contradiction between official statements and field applications has brought the issue of equal opportunities in education back to the agenda. Parents have called for the removal of fees collected under the name of "donation" and the establishment of a fair registration process for everyone.
THE REASON IS ALWAYS THE SAME
School administrations cite budget insufficiency as the reason. It is claimed that some administrators, stating that additional resources are needed for cleaning, security, and maintenance costs, have requested support from parents for this reason.
WHAT DID MINISTER TEKİN SAY?
In his statement regarding the issue, Minister Tekin said: "Student registration for 1st grade primary school and 1st grade middle school is done based on the address. In other words, it is clear which children within the address boundaries of this school will enroll under normal conditions. Parents do not need to do anything. We are already registering them electronically. When we come to secondary education institutions, you know we have two types of secondary education institutions. One is the secondary education institutions that admit students through an exam, and the second is those that admit students based on the address because they do not take students through an exam.
“ON WHAT GROUNDS CAN A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL REQUEST A FEE?”
It is already clear how students are admitted to those who take students through an exam. The procedure is also clear for those who do not take students through an exam. The rule is clear, and there is a central placement. On what grounds can a school principal request a registration fee from whom? This year, you know, the second phase of the discussions regarding these donations was this; there was a problem that put our school administrators in a difficult situation. Our parents were pressuring to choose a class teacher or section.
“SUCH A THING IS NOT POSSIBLE”
It was said that donations or money were being collected here. We centralized that this year. In other words, we did not leave any room for a parent whose child is registered at this school to come and say, 'I want my child to be taught by this teacher.' Therefore, it is absolutely and categorically impossible for our schools and school administrators to collect registration fees, registration charges, or to be involved in matters related to student class or section selection. If there are other areas related to this, we are already fulfilling the necessary requirements for them.