The legislative framework in Turkey supports access to national education systems for refugees of all ages, including those under temporary protection, allowing access to early childhood education, schooling, non-formal education programmes including language and skills development classes and tertiary education. Education in Turkey is led by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). The Higher Education Council (YÖK) and Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) play a key role in facilitating access to higher education.
At the start of the 2019/20 school year, 684,253 Syrian children under temporary protection were enrolled in Turkish public schools and Temporary Education Centres (63% of school-aged Syrian children). Approximately 94 per centof those enrolled are attending public schools including 3.6 per cent of them enrolled in open schools.
The current enrollment rate is 22.64 per cent in pre-primary school; 87.64 per cent in primary school; 72.72 per centin middle school; and 34 per cent for learners at upper secondary level. MoNE supports enrolment of Syrian children in public schools and provides Turkish language classes (implemented as Adaptation Classes from September 2019), homework support programmes, preparatory-classes, remedial classes and catch-up programmes. To support the large-scale nationwide implementation of Adaptation Classes, UNHCR provided MoNE with 235,000 Turkish language materials (including books for pupils and teacher to be used in the classroom) for schools in 55 provinces.
UNHCR developed the capacity of 8 Public Education Centres (PECs) to meet increasing demands of youth and adults to participate in certified Turkish language courses. Key results include: refurbishing classrooms, providing ICT equipment, teacher training in teaching Turkish as a second language and staffing. Over 3,000 adults received certified Turkish language (at A1 and A2 levels), supported by UNHCR. Language proficiency reduces isolation of refugees and a positive step towards social cohesion. UNHCR’s partners provided Turkish language classes to over 2,000 children to support their transition or retention in formal education. In 2020, partners will increase referrals to the new MoNE Adaptation classes. UNHCR plays a key role in coordinating stakeholders engaged in non-formal education, particularly PECs. In 2019, UNHCR successfully advocated for a standard incentive amount to be given to all Syrians attending Turkish language courses regardless of agency or donor.
The Government of Turkey supports higher education by covering tuition fees in state universities for Syrian students and developing an enabling and inclusive policy and university environment. By end 2019, university enrolments had risen to over 33,000. Innovative approaches were developed to ensure no formal barriers like quotas or tuition fees restricted access and actively easing the process for Syrian students. The Higher Education Sector benefits from YTB’s fair, sustainable and scalable scholarship management system.
In 2019, 2,500 youth participated in higher education preparation courses. In 2018/2019, some 1,998 students (79%) obtained language proficiency certificates at a B2 and higher that allowed them to meet entry requirements for Turkish universities. Of these students, 1,243 were enrolled in Turkish universities.
By end 2019, 744 students continued to be supported with university scholarships (658 undergraduate; 86 postgraduate). UNHCR scholarship-funded graduates are steadily increasing; 128 Syrian students had graduated from Turkish universities in 2019. In 2020, UNHCR and YTB will begin activities to support the transition to employment.
UNHCR and YTB supported 40 academic advisors in universities hosting large numbers of refugees. The role is to provide university orientation, and academic and social support with the overall goal of improving the successful academic and social integration of Syrians in Turkish universities.
2019