26.09.2019 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Turkey Education Council meeting took place at the TOBB Twin Towers with the participation of Education Minister Prof. Dr. Ziya Selcuk, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Vice President Selçuk Öztürk and Turkey Education Council President Dr. Yusuf Ekinci. During the meeting, representatives of special education institutions relayed the issues on their agendas to Minister Selçuk.
TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, at the beginning of his opening speech,
thanked Minister Selçuk for the importance he attached to consultation and
dialogue. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are pleased to see the difference a Minister
from the business world makes and how he is bucking trends. We congratulate him
again for his visionary steps.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
emphasized that education is not a matter of the past or the present, but of
the future. Hisarcıklıoğlu said that education is the most influential factor
in a person's life. “From primary education to higher education which shapes our
lives, people are formed in the education system. Through lifelong learning,
training continues until our last breath. The importance of primary and
secondary education is undoubtedly important for shaping a person's character;
the formation of their view of life. Primary and secondary education forms the
basis of a human being, as important as the foundation of a building.
Therefore, we must make our children well educated and well equipped starting
from kindergarten / day-care center all the way to university. For this reason,
primary and secondary education is an area that should never be ignored. We, as
the business community, attach great importance to vocational education as well
as primary and secondary education.”
- Cooperation in vocational
training
Under
the leadership of Minister Selçuk, M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they
have taken a step that they have expressed the importance of as TOBB for years.
Ministry of National Education, TOBB ETU, TOBB and Chambers and Commodity
Exchanges have started cooperation in vocational education. The TOBB President stated
that a new and dynamic vocational training model will be prepared according to
the characteristics of the sectors today. “Through our Chambers and Commodity
Exchanges, we ensure that vocational education is designed in line with the
needs of industry, trade and agriculture. With this pilot project, we will
expand the public-private joint management model to the whole vocational
education system. Thus, the role of the private sector in vocational education
will increase.
In
short, our young people who graduated from here, will not be intermediary
personnel, but instead be sought after.”
- Theoretical education should be
mixed with practical training.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that they attach great importance to private education institutions in
terms of quality and competition in education. It reduces the inequality in
education and offers equal opportunities. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “As special
educational institutions, we feel responsibility in the upbringing of the youth
of today, which will form the future of our country. Human capital is the area
we need most to reach advanced levels of civilization in our country. This
human capital is composed of young people who have a qualified primary,
secondary and vocational education. With this vision, we continue to work as
private educational institutions.”
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that special emphasis should be given to
the incorporation of theoretical education into practical education, and asked
teachers, students, alumni and business representatives to turn education
institutions into open innovation centers. Pointing out the need to solve the
problems in industry, trade and agriculture, TOBB President said, “In addition,
we should make educational institutions an entrepreneurial center. Because for
a more prosperous Turkey, we need more entrepreneurs. The first platforms to
ensure this are the primary, secondary and vocational education institutions
before university. Believe me, all this is not difficult to implement.
As
long as act and work together with common purpose and consultation. That's when
all of this and all of the issues we'll be discussing can be addressed promptly.
When we provide these, we will raise the success level of our students to the
next level. There will be no problem of qualified personnel in our country.
Entrepreneurs among our graduates will grow. In our educational institutions,
more inventions and more patents will be issued in the field of high
technology. We will see Turkey reach its targets thanks to them.”
- Minister of National Education
Ziya Selçuk
Minister
of National Education Ziya Selcuk reported that new measures related to the
problems of private education institutions can be addressed by talking to the
sector, consulting, discussing the implementation of the draft file on this
issue which will be presented for the opinion of the sector within a few weeks.
Selcuk,
in his speech at Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB)
Turkey Education Council meeting, stated that they’ve individually met with all
53 sectors in Turkey, conducting workshops and as a result, they’ve found the
opportunity to determine how best to build a better foundation with regards to
education and its relationship with the economy and democracy.
Stressing
that education is a process that should cover not only the classroom but the
entire lifespan as it was put forth in the 2023 Education Vision, Selçuk reported
that they’ve taking into consideration many overlapping factors including
exports, foreign trade deficit, distribution of sectors to provinces as well as
the vocational school distribution in said provinces, aiming ultimately to put forth
a data-based management system.
Stating
that unless an overlap between the sectors in the provinces and the departments
in schools could be established, a realistic economy-education relationship
could not be defined, Selçuk said, “There is a very low significance relationship
on this issue, but we can easily upgrade in the next one or two years.”
Reporting
that in the last 10 years, while only 29 useful models and patents were
presented, this number was found to be over 100 in this year alone, Selcuk,
reminded that the private sector was allowed to open vocational training centers
two months ago.
Minister
Selcuk reported that the rate of the private sector in vocational training in
Germany is 84% while this level is only 4.5% in Turkey, and that without legal,
hardware, teacher requirements and training infrastructure, the private sector cannot
be expected to focus on this field.
Turkey
Education Council President Yusuf Ekinci also made a speech at the meeting. At
the end of the speeches, the National Education Minister Selçuk was presented a
plaque with the Istanbul skyline.
Following
the opening speeches, the Education Council Meeting continued with the question
and answer department.