'The government imposes its religious and nationalist ideology on children' 

2023-09-21 14:04:37


	 

	 

	AMED - Education Union Organizing Secretary Tahir Çetin, who said that the government imposes its nationalist, religious and sexist ideology on children, said: "This issue is not only the problem of education workers, but the problem of the whole country."

	 

	The new academic year started with discussions as a result of the government's interventions in the course curriculum. "Family in Turkish Society" and "Etiquette" courses given during the Ottoman period were also added to the curriculum. This situation was interpreted as "AKP's ideological intervention in the education system".

	 

	Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) Amed Branch 1 Organizing Secretary Tahir Çetin said that the government is trying to create a new generation with nationalist, sexist and religious codes.

	 

	IDEOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT

	 

	Stating that the government prioritizes and implements its ideological goals regarding elective courses, Çetin said: “Elective courses are courses that should be chosen to develop children's interests and abilities. But unfortunately, when we look at the current government's recent practices, it seems that their political and ideological goals are somehow trying to impose lessons on children. They use lessons to somehow impose the government's nationalist, religious and sexist ideologies on children. They find the basis for this very easily in schools. Because the current administrators work like their own political staff. This being the case, when different science-based courses are chosen, they direct them to courses that are close to their own ideology, on the grounds that 'there are not enough teachers, the physical conditions of the school are not suitable'."

	 

	THE EFFORTS OF THE STATE IS TO CREATE A 'OBEDIENT GENERATION'

	 

	Stating that the government dreams of a generation that obeys them and does not object in any way, Çetin said: They use other educational institutions as milestones of these dreams. They are aware that, regardless of the economic situation of the country, they can rule this country more easily with people who do not object to the government in any way, bless the government, and embrace the concept of a sacred state. That's why, by having these lessons taught to children with the guidance of school administrations, they somehow take the children on a journey towards the generation they dream of.”

	 

	'WE WILL NOT LEAVE OUR CHILDREN TO THEM'

	 

	Stating that the issue of elective courses has always been a problem in the education system and that they have applied many times regarding the issue, Çetin sai: “We have applied many times and filed our cases. Our demands did not receive much response from them. We have filed lawsuits many times regarding the judiciary, but unfortunately, since the current government has taken over the judiciary, the courts there do not operate impartially. We will continue our struggle. We will not leave our children in their hands. It came like this, but it won't go like this. This issue is not just the problem of education workers, it is the problem of the whole country. NGOs, the public, we have to fight against them as a whole."

	 

	MA / Eylem Akdağ