Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Education in Turkey - statistics & facts
The modern education system in Turkey has its origins in the "Law on the Organization of Education", adopted on March 2, 1926, after the foundation of the Turkish Republic. Since then, the education and school policies have changed multiple times, taking the current form in 2012 with the 4+4+4 structure. The new education system contains four years of primary education, four years of lower secondary, and four years of upper secondary education for school children. In 2022, the total volume of expenditure on education reached about 588.5 344 billion Turkish lira. In the same year, total education spending accounted for nearly four percent of Turkey’s gross domestic product (GDP), the lowest value recorded since 2011.
Eight years of compulsory education
Even though preschool education is not compulsory in Turkey, the number of pupils enrolled in pre-primary schools generally increased in the country, reaching over two million as of the academic year 2022/23. After implementing the new education system, the minimum age for starting primary school education for Turkish children became five years old. In 2023, the primary school completion rate among children was 98.5 percent for both girls and boys. When it comes to the lower secondary school completion rate, the figures went down to an average of 96.4 percent. After finishing the eighth grade, students continue with ninth grade in either general upper secondary schools(lyceum) or vocational and technical education institutions, depending on their High School Entrance Exam (LGS) scores.Higher education
Universities in Turkey generally offer associate degrees (an undergraduate degree program that lasts two to three years), bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorate degrees. In the academic year 2022/23, approximately seven million students enrolled in a higher education program, more than half of whom were pursuing bachelor’s degrees. The popularity of higher education institutions also increased among foreigners, since more than 301 thousand international students enrolled in an academic program in 2022. However, studying at a higher education institution was not accessible or affordable for some anymore; tertiary education spending has been trending upward for students in recent years, reaching above 50 thousand Turkish lira per student in 2022.Public opinion on the education system
The Turkish government and Ministry of Education have been striving to improve the education standards for its citizens for decades. However, many persistent problems and the constant change in education policies and exam procedures over the years have been criticized by many families, students, teachers, and scholars. In a recent survey, high schools and public universities were rated as the most problematic educational institutions by many Turkish people. Additionally, the majority of the surveyed people expressed their concern about the declining quality of universities in the country.
