İZMİR - Commenting on the "girls' secondary schools" as a violation of children's rights and a part of the policy of attacking women, Filiz Eraslan, Secretary of Eğitim Sen İzmir Branch No. 2, said: "These are manoeuvres for child marriage, child labour, child abuse, compulsory education and the constant change of the age of education." 

 

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which shapes its education policies with an ideological perspective, continues to create controversy with its steps towards coeducation. The schools that Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin often said: "We cannot open girls' schools if necessary," started to be opened in vocational high schools in 2024. Within the scope of the practice initiated with the letter of the Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education dated 15 November 2024, "girls' secondary schools" were opened within some Anatolian vocational high schools. 

 

While 8 schools were opened in Adana, Ankara, Dîlok (Antep), Karaman, Kastamonu, Manisa and Riha (Urfa), education started in some of these schools, while no enrolment took place in others. Minister Tekin defended the implementation of "girls' secondary schools" against the ongoing reactions by claiming that the curricula were "updated in the light of social needs and scientific developments". 

 

We talked to Filiz Eraslan, Secretary of Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Izmir Branch No. 2, about the implementation of "girls' secondary schools", the sexist policies of the government and its reflections. 

 

'THE AIM IS TO CREATE REASONABLE STUDENTS'

 

Filiz Eraslan reacted to the justification of "coeducation" for not allowing girls to go to school and said: "It is a completely misleading and manipulative justification." Pointing out that the 8 schools opened have no legal basis, Filiz Eraslan said that the government wants to eliminate this constitutionally protected guarantee, that it has been tried by opening in a few places and then girls' secondary schools will be shown as a preference. 

 

Drawing attention to Imam Hatip schools, Filiz Eraslan stated that it is not known what the professional status of girls graduating from Imam Hatip schools is, but boys can immediately enter business life. Filiz Eraslan said: "This is part of the reason why they declared the 'Year of the Family'. The aim is to segregate girls, restrict their education and offer them a restricted lifestyle. Creating acceptable women, acceptable woman students and creating a uniform ideology are also part of this. As you know, our Minister of National Education co-operates with sects and signs protocols. They need some kind of followers. This is a preparation for that. We also see this as marketisation. Especially paving the way for opening public education to the market." 

 

Filiz Eraslan stated that they will continue to protect children's rights and called on parents not to enrol their daughters in these secondary schools. She added: "We see the situation as a 'women's issue'. This is part of the ongoing attack on women, an attack on secularisation and democratisation. It is an intervention in lifestyle. One consequence of this is to open the concept and age of children to discussion. This is the most important one. This is a plan to see girls as adolescents, adults, adult children. These are the manoeuvres for child marriage, child labour, child abuse, compulsory education, and the constant change of the age of education. We will take measures against all these. Our struggle will continue."