25.10.2021 Ankara
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the Turkey Education Council Meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), which was attended by Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer, said, “The sector and parents breathed a sigh of relief during the pandemic process when the VAT rate from educational services was reduced from 8% to 1%. It is the most important demand that this regulation be reinstated and the VAT rate is made permanent in the education sector at 1%.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that they always support vocational education institutions, “Through our
chambers and exchanges, we ensure that vocational education is designed in line
with the needs of locally dynamic sectors. We work together in 114 schools in
81 provinces.”
TOBB Turkey Education
Council Meeting was held at TOBB Twin Towers with the participation of Minister
of National Education Mahmut Özer, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu,
Turkey Education Council President Yusuf Ekinci and council members.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said
that education is a process that goes from cradle to grave.
Noting that the Covid
pandemic is still ongoing, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “With the pandemic, we are
experiencing a period in which digitalization is gaining great speed in
education as in all areas, and we are adapting ourselves to innovations. At the
beginning of the pandemic, we experienced distance education for a while. Then,
with the introduction of hybrid models and face-to-face training, we never
actually stopped training. Students are our future. There is no other form of
education that can replace face-to-face training. I hope that we will never
again have to take a break from education for a long time like in the past.”
Pointing out the
importance of vocational education, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that a different
importance is given to vocational education in the 2023 Vision Document of the
Ministry of National Education.
Emphasizing that he
considers the design and skills workshops established in many provinces
valuable, Hisarcıklıoğlu noted:
“These centers will
direct students to their interests while also enabling their professional
skills to develop very early. Vocational educational institutions have always
been the area supported by TOBB because it is the key to development and
contributes to the training of qualified workforce. We do our part with the
Vocational Education Cooperation Protocol that we started with the Ministry.
Through our chambers and exchanges, we ensure that vocational education is
designed locally in line with the needs of dynamic sectors. We work together in
114 schools in 81 provinces. With the support of TOBB University of Economics
and Technology, we also train educators.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating
that private education institutions experienced difficulties during the
pandemic, noted that the sector should be kept afloat in this process.
- Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer
Minister of National
Education Mahmut Özer announced that for the first time in Turkey, tomorrow and
October 27, 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th
grades will launch an assessment exam to detect learning losses in Turkish,
mathematics and science, and approximately 4.5 million students will
participate in the application.
Minister Özer attended
the TOBB Turkey Education Council Meeting held in the Social Facilities Meeting
Room of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).
Pointing out that under
the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, very serious investments have
been made in the Turkish education system, Özer explained that there have been
significant improvements in this area.
However, as with all
other countries' education system, Özer emphasized that the most important
breaking point in Turkey is equal opportunity in education.
Özer stated that the
suspension of face-to-face education during the Covid-19 process deepened this
problem and summarized their work in this process, recalling his remarks on the
need to keep schools open after taking over.
Özer stated that
Turkey's education system has a total audience of 20 million with approximately
18 million students, 1.2 million teachers and other education employees, adding
that “In order for Turkey to normalize the Covid-19 process, the education
system needs to be normalized and it needs to be able to continue face-to-face
education.”