DİYARBAKIR -  Stating that the face to face education has started, but the lack of infrastructure and the gap between the children of the rich and poor families has widened, Sadrettin Kaya, Head of Education- Union Diyarbakır Branch said many students are dropping out of school, looking for a job.

 

Evaluating the start of face-to-face education, Sadrettin Kaya stated that there have been problems in education for many years and said: "These problems started to increase with the start of the pandemic. It's chaos now. The training in TUrkey is not chosen by the student but an imposition of the system. Students and parents are concerned about getting into a qualified school which only one percent of the students have access to. Because the private schools will not be opening, parents enroll their children to state schools." 

 

'WHAT WILL THE POOR DO?'

 

Pointing out that private schools have become widespread in recent years and this has further deepened the gap against disadvantaged children, Kaya said: "We heard that the places established for private lessons are not suitable for the pandemic. Some parents hire a flat and a teacher for education. So what will the children of the poor do? They can not benefit from distance education and they can not get private lessons. A lot of students do not have access to internet. When we visited Bismil the other dayü, we saw that 6 neighborhoods don't have the infrastructure for internet. A village in Kulp doesn't even have access to a phone line. How will the students living in places like this access distance education? We visited a school's distance education center. 6 of the 10 computers don't work. The rest doesnt have a camera or a microphone. There are instructions that the computers and cameras should be cleaned regularly, but there are no employees to do it."

 

'WHAT WILL THE CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER DO?'

 

Asking how will the students who do not have access to a computer or a tablet can get distance education, Kaya said, "All of these are disadvantages for those students and they have almost no chance of winning the race of a qualified education."

 

'CHILDREN DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL'

 

Kaya said: "Face-to-face training should be done. However, it should be done by creating a physical infrastructure. We are hearing that disadvantaged students are dropping out of school, looking for a job.  So the gap is getting deeper and wider. Some parents hire teachers for their children while some children doesn't have access to internet or even a phone line. These students will enter the same exam."