3x4 becoming victim of communication
I don’t know if you have understood it or not, but I have not figured out what the 3x4 formula will bring and take away.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement shows that this amendment has been done to “erase the last mark of Feb. 28 and to remove the restrictions imposed on imam-hatip high schools [religious vocational schools].” Even though Erdoğan had said that they have decided on 3x4 after a scientific study, again there is a political stance in the process. The way for the imam-hatips, however, could have been cleared without this scramble.
Well, then, why did you need the 3x4?
I’m not writing these with the thought that “secular youth are disappearing.” I have many friends drawn from imam-hatip alumni and I believe in the benefit of these schools. What makes many people like me confused is that the 3x4 has not been properly explained to society. 3x4 is about to become a victim of communication, literally.
The opposition cannot properly explain that this amendment will bring disaster while the government cannot persuade anyone that we will move up a level in education.
When there is no communication, debates turn into arguments at cross purposes. The government says, “I want it this way; the bill will pass as it is.” The opposition is resisting to the death.
Educators are quiet, watching, because nobody is asking them.
Because it is not debated properly, we are trying to pass a bill that most probably will be returned to after two or three years.
We will fail with this education
Education Minister Ömer Dinçer had made us all very happy. His words especially on the topic of kindergartens (pre-school education) were extremely important. Most particularly, his approach toward what is regarded as the mother of all educational problems “the requirement to increase the teacher training level” had excited everyone.
Really, let’s not fool ourselves. We are providing an extremely unqualified education to our children. We are filling young minds with a curriculum that is full of unnecessary information and lessons that do not have real content.
The quality of teachers is extremely low. We have an education corps where part of them are bright but the other part are equipped with outdated information and ideas.
While we are engaged in the 3x4 fight, the world is flying by past us. In the 2050s, only those who can keep up with the information age will be able to remain standing. China, India and the Far East will surpass even the West.
What are we going to do?
We will spend our days with the “is it 3x4, or is it 8+4” fights, imam-hatip and Quran courses debates.
The smart board and free tablet PCs are very correct steps. But more important is the content that will be uploaded onto them, the quality of the education and the educator.
If we continue like this, be sure that Turkey is bound to fail tomorrow.
Expecting an answer from the Education Ministry
We are expecting an answer as to how come a book full of racist expressions, one that highlights some journalists as a target and one that spits blood on Armenians who are Turkish citizens can be distributed to literature and history teachers working at high schools at Istanbul’s Kartal district with the instructions of the Education Ministry’s District Directorate.
If the news channel CNNTürk’s story is wrong, then issue a press release. If the story is correct, then answer to society.
This incident cannot be easily covered up. The Education Ministry should call the responsible to account and prevent such racist books from being sent to educators so that the ideas inside them are passed onto young brains.
If Ömer Dinçer does not know about this, I am here tipping him off.
If a guy writes a book full of trash and insults, he answers for it in court. Well, who is going to punish those who incite hatred in our children, who pave the way to such practices?