Turkish Education Ministry to give away 190 million school books free of charge this year

ANKARA

The Education Ministry will give away 190 million school books for free to students for the 2017-2018 education year, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sept. 14, citing the ministry’s Support Services Department General Manager Salih Ayhan.

Ayhan said a total of 190 million schools books with a variety of over 600 had been printed and 182 million had already been distributed to the schools for about 18 million students in elementary, middle and high schools across the country.

Four million books were ready for distribution whereas the remaining four million continued to be printed, the official said, adding that this year, the distribution of books to schools was less problematic and faster compared to previous years.

Ayhan indicated that the tender for the published books cost the ministry a total of 445 million Turkish Liras (about $130 million). “The books that have been received by our ministry have been delivered to 420 distributing points in 81 provinces. The delivered books will be ready for our students in bags on their desks,” Ayhan said. 

The official also said due to the renewed curriculum this year, it was necessary for new books to be published that would be used for the first time by first, fifth and ninth graders. 

Ayhan also said the ministry had transferred 670 million liras (about $195 million) to schools across Turkey for the modernization of newly opened schools and the renovation of old schools. “Upon the special instruction of [Education] Minister İsmet Yılmaz, the weight is especially on the renovation and modernization of vocational high schools,” he said.