08.07.2025 11:22
Ali Yalçın, the General President of Memur-Sen and Eğitim-Bir-Sen, stated that in a study conducted with more than 36,000 participants, including teachers, students, and parents, regarding the "4+4+4" compulsory education system, the proposal for a "2+2" model—consisting of 2 years of compulsory education followed by 2 years of optional education—has emerged as the predominant opinion in high schools.
Yalçın announced the results of their "Field Research on the Compulsory Education System in Turkey," conducted to reveal the current status of the "4+4+4" compulsory education system and the areas that need improvement, at the Memur-Sen General Center.
Emphasizing that the research, which covers the last 4 years of compulsory education, was conducted with over 36,000 participants, Yalçın stated that more than 17,000 teachers, over 7,000 administrators, more than 5,000 11th and 12th-grade students, and again over 5,000 parents were included in the study.
"THERE IS A NEED TO READDRESS THE LAST 4 YEARS OF THE SYSTEM"
Yalçın reported that the research was implemented in all 81 provinces, continuing: "The reality revealed by the study is this: There is a need to readdress the last 4 years of our '4+4+4' compulsory education system. When we asked the expectations of the teachers and administrators who participated in the study, more than 93% expressed that changes should be made in the last 4 years of the system. A similar expectation emerged from the students as well. The need to readdress the last 4 years according to the expectations of society and the realities of life has been clearly articulated by the participants."
THE PROMINENT MODELS WERE 3+1 AND 2+2
Ali Yalçın pointed out that the two options that received the most support regarding the duration of high school education emerged in the research, providing the following information:
"The options that came to the fore, especially in the high school education part, were 2+2, meaning 2 years compulsory, 2 years optional, or 3 years compulsory, 1 year optional for the last 4 years, and it seems that participants showed a bit more preference for the 2+2 part. Therefore, we see that there is a need for educational authorities, social stakeholders, and the Ministry of National Education, and thus all stakeholders, to readdress this issue."
After his speech, Yalçın answered journalists' questions regarding the compulsory education system being on the agenda at the 21st National Education Council. Emphasizing that they are obliged to reveal the expectations of the field through their research, Ali Yalçın stated: "We are an organization with nearly 430,000 education workers across Turkey. Therefore, we are sharing our field study regarding high school education with the public. The Ministry of National Education has also made similar statements on this issue. There is now a need for a comprehensive kitchen study in this area. For this reason, we are announcing our research to ensure that all stakeholders in education are involved in the process. In the next phase, the process will take shape with everyone expressing their opinions."
FIELD RESEARCH ON THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION SYSTEM IN TURKEY
The research conducted by Eğitim-Bir-Sen in 81 provinces was carried out with 36,118 participants consisting of teachers, school administrators, high school students, and parents. The distribution of participants by province was balanced to reflect the country's population structure and the geographical distribution of public employees. The highest participation came from major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. The research is one of the first studies that comprehensively reflects the real experiences and expectations in the field regarding the compulsory education system.
One of the significant findings of the research was the widespread demand for change regarding the duration of compulsory education. The vast majority of participants expressed that they found the current 12-year compulsory education period too long and wanted the system to be reorganized.
93.8% of teachers, 97.1% of school administrators, 78.5% of students, and 78.8% of parents stated that the current 12-year compulsory education period should be shortened. The proportion of those who believe the current duration is sufficient was found to be 5.3% among teachers, 2.5% among administrators, 19.7% among students, and 19.6% among parents.
The proportion of those arguing that the duration of compulsory education should be extended was below 2% across all groups. In the research, most participants indicated that the duration of compulsory education does not meet the expectations of the business world and prevents students from entering the workforce earlier.
The proportion of those who believe that "the duration of compulsory education is not suitable for the expectations of society and business life" was measured at 75.2% among teachers, 82.8% among administrators, and 58.9% among parents. The proportion of those who think that the duration makes it more difficult for students to enter the workforce earlier was 83.7% among teachers, 90.2% among administrators, and 68.9% among parents.
The research also highlighted the view that the length of compulsory education makes it difficult to find intermediate staff in the business world. The proportion of those sharing this view was found to be 87.8% among teachers, 93.1% among administrators, and 71.6% among parents.
Furthermore, the view that the length of compulsory education increases the risk of school dropout was widely accepted. The proportion of those agreeing with this view was recorded at 70% among teachers, 78.9% among administrators, 67.2% among students, and 52.6% among parents.
VIEWS ON CAREER GUIDANCE AND HIGH SCHOOL CLASS
Participants expressed that students are not adequately guided in their career choices during the compulsory education period. The proportion of those sharing the view that "sufficient guidance is not provided" was recorded at 66.6% among teachers, 71% among administrators, 50% among parents, and 33% among students.
Additionally, the proportion of those who believe that compulsory education limits students' social and emotional development was found to be 61.1% among teachers, 66.2% among administrators, 61.8% among parents, and 77.2% among students.
In the research, a large majority of participants indicated that the structure of the final year of high school should change.
The proportion of those sharing the view that "it is unnecessary for final year high school students to continue attending school" was recorded at 83.6% among teachers, 84.7% among administrators, 75.9% among students, and 47.3% among parents.
The proportion of those stating that the final year of high school should be a year for university preparation or career planning was found to be 92.3% among students, 90.4% among teachers, 88.8% among administrators, and 89.9% among parents.
EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL MODELS
The research indicated that a large portion of participants supported a personalized, flexible, and modular secondary education structure. The proportion of those stating that this structure is appropriate was recorded at 83.7% among students, 77.1% among teachers, 72.9% among administrators, and 65.5% among parents.
In the research, the models that received the most support regarding the duration of high school education were "3+1" years (3 years compulsory, 1 year optional) and "2+2" years (2 years compulsory, 2 years optional).
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"2+2" model opinion rates were determined as 34.5% among teachers, 32.5% among administrators, 38.9% among students, and 28.6% among parents.
The rate of those who expressed the opinion of the "3+1" model was 18% among teachers, 14.7% among administrators, 31.4% among students, and 20% among parents.
In the research, the "4-year" mandatory model in high school education was supported at a very low rate. The rate of those supporting this model was determined as 2.9% among teachers, 1.7% among administrators, 9.8% among students, and 8.8% among parents.
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