Education Discourses and Policies of Political Parties in Turkey
Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of the study is to display the views relating to the education discourses and the policies of parties having groups in The Grand National Assembly of Turkey under the themes of the educational goals, education language, formal and informal education, the education of religion teaching of religion, assessment-evaluation, teaching staff, student support, education environments and programs.Method. The political parties operating legally in Turkey form the population of the research and AKP, CHP, MHP and BDP having groups in The Grand National Assembly of Turkey form the research sampling.The research data was collected by the technique of the document analysis used in qualitative research data collection methods. The data for this study analyzed through the documents of the party programs and election manifestos setting out the basic policies of parties was used to determine the education discourses and the policies of parties.The document analysis was made in five following steps; access to the documents, checking of the originality, understanding of the documents, the analysis and the use of data. Findings. On considering the education objectives of the parties, AKP aims at bringing up individuals who have a universal structure of thought and consider difference in wealth (AKP, 2011). While CHP aims at bringing up citizens subject to Ataturk`s principles and reforms and embracing democratic and secular values (CHP, 2008), the goal of MHP is to bring up faithful generations having the pride and the consciousness of appurtenance to the Turkish nation and having the spiritual and cultural values (MHP, 2011b). BDP aims at an education policy that takes into account the needs of each citizen arising from their ethnic origin, culture and language differences (BDP, 2008a).MHP expresses that no language other than Turkish as mother tongue at education institutions can be studied or taught. On the other hand, BDP says the Kurdish language will be used as education language by the removal of the bans in front of education. All parties point out that preschool education is to be included in compulsory education and the duration of compulsory basic education is to be increased. It is clear that they give more importance to vocational training in secondary education and without having a university degree, they can get the chance to take part in the working life at earlier ages. MHP and BDP expresses the removal of dress bans at universities. AKP and MHP says The Council of Higher Education will not be removed, but CHP and BDP says it will be removed.While AKP says the committees of trustees will be formed at publicBackground. In each country, education occurs in line with the policy of the state and also to whom it appeals is determined by the government (Varıs, 1988). A state that was established in line with any political understanding is in the center of the struggle for power.This is a political party in Government, the fight results in the present democrasies. This struggle results in coming to power for a political party in present democrasies (Kücüker, 2009). One of the goals of the political parties which are established by the people sharing similar views of political parties by organizing is to come to power (Kıslalı, 1997), to steer the policies of the country in line with the adopted opinions and ideologies, to shape the structure of society, to get the right to use power on behalf of the people. Political parties by getting the power perform their own views and interests (Tanilli, 2007), give identity to the community, train the masses and raise awareness. This situation is a universal qualified function of political parties. During the period they stay in power, they leave important traces whose effects can last for so long (Pektas, 1997). In order to achieve changes in all these fields, particularly the understanding and the system of education must be brought into line with this ideology. Education is a field of study which all the parties care about and doesn't change according to the political parties in power or in opposition. Even in this respect, schools having the future potential for the politics have always been seen as a strategic means (Varıs, 1988). On the review of literature it is seen that the studies in which the views of political parties were discussed are quite limited. In the study made by Aydın (1997) on this subject, the views, towards education, teaching and teachers, in the programs of political parties between the years 1908-1997 and the governments ruling between the years 1920-1997 were discussed. Also in a study on a similar subject made by Bulut and Guven (2010), in the programs of parties having groups in Turkish Grand National Assembly in 2008, the regulations they aimed to perform at the level of primary education were analysed. Due to the limited number of researches on a similar subject, it is hoped that this study can do a contribution to the field. In this study, when the political parties come to power, what kind of education activities they are going to fulfill for the public, what policies they adopt in the field of education, what kind of solutions they are going to produce to the problems existing in these areas are focused on the opinions mentioned in the party programs and the election manifestos which are the most significant sources of information.universities, CHP and MHP point out that rectors will be elected by the faculty members. Although all parties specify they are going to give importance to special education and create the necessary infrastructure, it is seen that the alleged promises for it are not very detailed. Because of the illiteracy, still present in our country, and the unemployment, the most important problems of our country, it is reflected in the promises of parties for informal education. As for the teaching of religion, AKP and CHP says this education will be fulfilled in the constitutional framework and will not be permitted for non-audit practices of it and MHP states that the age limit for the children going to the Koran courses during the summer will be removed. As for the system of examination, all parties other than AKP thinks of removing the university entrance examination (AKP, 2011; BDP, 2008a; CHP, 2008; MHP, 2011b). AKP says teachers will be paid in different payments according to the provinces they work and primarily, qualified and experienced teachers will be assigned to disadvantaged residential areas. CHP and MHP promise to appoint contracted and substitute teachers to the permanent staff positions On looking at the promises of parties for students, particularly, similar promises such as more credit, increasing the amount of scholarship, supporting and solving the housing problems of poor students can be seen. On the issue of education environment, all parties point out that schools are at the level of giving contemporary education and they will be equipped with the most advanced technology within the facilities which are to be developed. All parties in relation to the curriculum development point out the need for a new education program (AKP, 2011; CHP, 2008; MHP, 2011b). Conclusions, Discussions and Implications. In the educational views of political parties it is seen that the political ideology they defend and the factors which determine their political identity come to forefront. The promises are explained with general and abstract terms much more than producing solutions to the origin of the problems. When political parties' education policies are generally evaluated; AKP approaches to education problems within the framework of the main subject areas, ‘national' and ‘spiritual' elements are in the foreground in MHP's promises, on the otherhand, BDP has an understanding of education with an emphasis on “ethnic identity”. They do not comment on many subjects. Some of the opinions they state are not very concrete projects. As a result; in this study in which the views of political parties are evaluated, it is seen that the political ideologies political parties defend in educational approaches and described with general and abstract expressions rather than finding solutions to the problems from its origins.Also in the study made by Bulut and Guven (2010), they agree there are a lot of regulations that political parties aim to perform at the level of primary education, but the way of how to fulfill them is not clearthe elements determining their identity come foreground. The promises are
Keywords
Türkiye’deki Siyasal Partilerin Eğitim Söylemleri ve Siyasaları
Öz
Araştırmanın amacı, siyasal partilerin eğitim söylemleri ve siyasalarına ilişkin görüşlerini ortaya koymaktır.Çalışmanın evrenini, Türkiye'de yasal olarak faaliyet gösteren siyasal partiler, örneklemini ise TBMM`de grubu bulunan partiler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada doküman incelemesi tekniği kullanılmıştır.Çalışma için gerekli veriler, parti programları ve seçim bildirgeleri analiz edilerek toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre siyasal partilerin eğitime yönelik görüşlerinde, savundukları siyasal ideolojilerinin ve kimliğini belirleyen unsurların ön plana çıktığı; vaadlerin, sorunların kökenine inerek çözümler üretmekten daha çok, genel ve soyut ifadelerle açıklandığı görülmektedir. AKP'nin temel konu alanları çerçevesinde eğitim sorununa yaklaştığı, MHP'nin vaadlerinde “milli” ve “manevî” unsurların ön planda olduğu, BDP'nin “etnik kimliğe” vurgu yapan bir eğitim anlayışına sahip olduğu görülmektedir. CHP'nin diğer partilere oranla eğitime ilişkin görüşlerinin daha eyleme dönük, daha somut projeler olduğu gözlenmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler
