New regulation ends fees for textbooks in private schools

New regulation ends fees for textbooks in private schools

ANKARA
New regulation ends fees for textbooks in private schools

The Education Ministry has announced that private schools will no longer be permitted to charge parents for textbooks and will instead use the textbooks provided free of charge by the ministry, bringing them in line with the system already followed in public schools.

 

According to the ministry’s statement, the regulation builds on a directive introduced last year, mandating the use of ministry-approved free textbooks in private schools. The latest update, published in the Official Gazette on Jan. 3, strengthens this requirement by prohibiting schools from charging any fees under the guise of “textbook costs.”

 

The ministry emphasized the new policy aims to prevent inaccuracies that may arise from using non-approved materials.

 

Minister Yusuf Tekin highlighted that questions for national exams, including the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) and other standardized tests, would be based on ministry-approved textbooks, ensuring consistency and fairness in education.

 

Beyond educational quality, the regulation seeks to ease the financial burden on parents.

 

Schools are now obligated to use only free, ministry-issued textbooks for all grade levels and will be closely monitored to ensure compliance.

 

Regular inspections will ensure the exclusive use of these materials and verify that no textbook-related fees are being charged.

 

The ministry will continue providing private schools with free textbooks based on student enrollment numbers. Non-compliance, such as charging fees or using unapproved materials, will lead to penalties, including fines of up to 20 times the gross minimum wage, and for repeated offenses, the revocation of licenses.