Erdogan's reforms meant to educate 'Islamist' pious generation.

Erdogan's reforms meant to educate 'Islamist' pious generation.(AlMonitor).


When a friend first voiced concerns over changes in Turkey’s educational system a couple of years ago, I didn’t take it very seriously. 

My friend, who had a son in primary school, argued that the changes were all aimed at installing a religious education. In 2012, the government introduced a 12-year, compulsory education system with four-year phases of primary, secondary and high school, replacing the old system where compulsory education consisted of five years of primary and three years of secondary school.

My friend argued that the overhaul was designed to subject children to religious education at an earlier age. I thought he was exaggerating and being paranoid. But two years on, looking at the combined effect of developments since then, I see that my friend’s concerns were not paranoia, but an early warning.

Not long after my conversation with the friend I mentioned above, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that he wanted to raise a “pious generation.”

At that point, my friend’s conviction that the education reforms had to do with religion began to make sense. Today, judging by the combination of steps the government has taken, I understand that it sees education as a tool to shape a certain profile of people.

Turkey had spent decades striving to raise the “Kemalist” generations to which its secularist founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk aspired.

Today, the state and education systems are being redesigned to raise “pious generations.” In sum, the malady of imposing a certain worldview and religion on its citizens continues to plague the Turkish state.Read the full story here.