4+4+4= ?

12 or 4
The answer is unknown because according to some it is 12 and for some it is 4. In this paper I argue that the new education system is not good for Turkey and to future generations which will study and receive an education according to this system. The introduction of the new education system started the debate with its formulation. The new system brings fundamental change to education system where 8+3 year education will be replaced with the 4+4+4 year education system. The new education system made changes in the law no.222, in some articles of this law, which defines the rules and regulations of the primary education and education law system in Turkey. The change between the two system is as follows; in the previous system it was mandatory to go to primary school at least 8 year. However this new system changes the 8 year continuous education with receiving education between 6-14 years is mandatory for children but going to primary school is not after the 4th grade (ProHayat, 2012). After 4th grade they could switch to distance education and continue to take education through this system or they could prefer to go vocational schools to start their carriers as apprentice in various professions or they could prefer to go vocational Imam Hatip schools to receive religious education. Critics concerns are concentrated generally on reducing starting age from 7 to 5 years and reducing the mandatory rule to go to school from 8 years to 4 years. Critics argues that new system depends on the willingness of the parents decision whether they want their children to receive education through going to school or through distance education. Reducing the age might increase the parents influence on their children because as many child psychologist argues that children are not mature enough at a age of 9 to make a

decision, which could affect their entire life. In the previous education system they made this choice after the 8th grade at a age of 14. As proponents argues that this new system will bring greater flexibility with allowing to children to choose what kind of path they want to follow for their future and career. If it is aim to bring greater flexibility then the reasons for this change should be explain specifically why it reduce the starting age of going to school from 7 to 5 years?. Why reducing the first phase or core primary school education to 4 instead of 5 years ?. Because before the 8 year mandatory system, it was 5 year mandatory system to go to primary school. Critics argues that reducing the mandatory rule to go to school from 8 years to 4 years might increase the number of child labor cases and it may increase child marriage especially the young girls which is a sensitive issue in Turkey. Various groups in society are joining the criticism of the new system. As an example there is Gler Sabanci, a well known businesswoman, who argues that the main concern is that the number of child marriages and instances of child labor would increase (JTW).

Oktay Vural of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) declared that the bill was submitted by five AKP lawmakers, without any prior public discussion. The states institutions have been by-passed. Neither pedagogues nor civic groups have been asked for an opinion, he said (JTW). Education specialists argues that the new measures would undermine educational standards and deepen social inequalities. The fifth grade, they argue, is just too early for

children to be steered away from a basic curriculum and be asked to make vocational choices about how to spend the rest of their life (Finkel, 2012). Another aspect of the current debate is rather political and to some extent ideological one. Debate revolves around such arguments that new system will eliminate the disadvantageous calculation of coefficients of the Imam Hatip vocational schools graduates when they try to enter the universities. Another argument is that the current government has intensions to change the secular structure of the Turkey into more conservative one. Speeches such as the one which Prime Minister Mr. Erdogan made not far ago from the introduction of the new education system where he said we want to raise a religious youth and continued as do you expect the conservative democrat AK Party to raise an atheist generation? That might be your business, your mission, but not ours. We will raise a conservative and democratic generation embracing the nations values and principles, (Ozerkan, 2012). If we want improve the eduaction system in Turkey we should carefully design the education system and organize it well to cover or improve the weaknesses of the system. In order to improve the education system we should look to other countries experiences too before we make any changes in the education system. According to research done by a Cambridge based primary review, reducing the starting age of school from 7 to 5 which is implemented in some countries like England, Scotland and the Netherland, with the assumptions that starting early will be beneficial for children's later attainment is not well supported in the research and therefore remains open to question," (Coughlan, 2008).

On the other hand Finland is considered to be one of the best countries for primary education and took 2nd place in reading and math and 1st place in science in the OECD world education rankings. In Finland in order to be a teacher one should have a masters degree and as one analysts points out in Finland schools have large autonomy and little intereference from central education administration (Hammond, 2010). In Finland the basic education is 9 years, after that students may continue secondary education if they prefer (Finnish board of education). In Finland children go to school at age of 7 so one may argue that age doesnt matter much, what matters is specific changes in the education system, not changing the whole system. (Shepherd, 2010). Whether these methods can be applicable for Turkey is debatable, but if we want to improve the education system or adopt a system which could be helpful for the country, the combination of good qualitative education lies with more primary education at least 5-9 years, and the quality of the education which children are getting.

References

1. ProHayat. (2012). 4+4+4 Eitim Sistem Nedir 4+4+4 Yasa Tasars Metni. Prohayat.com. Retrieved 09 may from http://www.prohayat.com/2012/03/28/444-egitimsistem-nedir-444-yasa-tasarisi-metni/ 2. Reactions Force Govt to Retreat on Education Bill. (2012, February,25). The Journal of Turkish weekly (JTW). Retrieved 22 april from http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/131701/reactions-force-gov%C3%ADt-to-retreat-oneducation-bill.html 3. Reactions Force Govt to Retreat on Education Bill. (2012, February,25). The Journal of Turkish weekly (JTW). Retrieved 22 april from http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/131701/reactions-force-gov%C3%ADt-to-retreat-oneducation-bill.html 4. Finkel, A. (2012). Whats 4+4+4 ?. International Herald Tribune IHT Global Opinion. Retrieved 22 april from http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/turkeys-educationreform-bill-is-about-playing-politics-with-pedagogy/ 5. Ozerkan, F. (2012). Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan sparks furor by saying he wants to raise a religious youth. National Post Retrieved 09 may from http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/09/turkey-pm-recep-tayyip-erdogan-sparks-furor-bysaying-he-wants-to-raise-a-religious-youth/ 6. Coughlan, S. (2008). Is Five too soon to start?. BBC NEWS. Retrieved 22 april http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7234578.stm

7. Hammond,L. D. (2010). What we can learn from Finlands successful school reform. National Education Association. Retrieved 22 april from http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm 8. Finnish national board of education.(2012). Retrieved 22 april from http://www.oph.fi/english/education/basic_education 9. Shepherd, J. (2010). World education rankings: which country does best at reading, maths and science?. The Guardian Data blog Retrieved 22 april from http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-mathsscience-reading