Education System used for special education in Turkey

1. EDUCATION SYSTEM OF TURKEY
PREPARED BY HAMZA TOKAÇ
SEN TEACHER

2. 1-Nursery (from 3years to 72 months olds)
2-Primary school (66,67,68 months can enroll
upon parents’ request)
Primary school lasts 4 years.
3-Secondary school (Lasts 4 years)
4-High school (lasts 4 years)
After entering an exam at the end of secondary
school, students enroll in a high school
according to their score.

3.  Types of high schools;
 Anatolian high school (foreign language
intensive high schools)
 Religious high school
 Art school (after passing an aptitude test)
 Vocational high schools
5-university
 After compulsory education (4+4+4) students
enter the university entrance exam and placed
in the result of their score.

4. 1-State schools
2-Private schools
3-Foundation schools
 Nursery (3-6 years)
 Primary (6-10/7-11- depends on parents’
demand)
 Secondary Schools (11-15/10-14)
 High Schools (14-18/15-19)
 Universities (From 18 years)

5.  Nursery school–not compulsory
 Primary school– lasts 4 years
 Secondary school-lasts 4 years
 High school-lasts 4 years
Exceptional cases
In case of students with severe disability or health
problems(in a need of nursing) their education
is provided by peripatetic teachers at student’s
house.

6. The programme and the curricula of educational
system is regulated by Ministery of Education of
Turkey
1-Pre-school education (for those between 36-72
months)
 The basic aim of preschool education is to support
the child’s motor, social and emotional, language
and cognitive skills development.
 Besides the program aims to provide children with
rich learning experiences and support self-care
skills and prepare them to basic education.

7.  Graduates of early childhood education
programmes of Universities
 Graduates of early childhood vocational school
of higher education (2 years)
 Graduates of Girls’ vocational high school

8. 2-Primary schools (6-10/7-11 years)
 Lasts 4 years.
 Foreign language teaching, science,religion, visual
arts and music classes are taught by branch
teachers.
 Other classes are taught by the classroom teacher.
 Students start to take exams on the 4th year.
 Besides state schools, students can go to private
colleges

9.  Lasts 4 years.
 Besides classical schools, students can go to religious
secondary schools and private colleges.
Types of High schools
According to demand,success and aptitude there are
several types of high schools;
-General high school
-Anatolian high school
-Anatolian high schools with prep classes (lasts 5 years)
-
Sports/arts/science/vocational/religious/health/teac
her… high schools

10.  The fundamental policy is to educate children with
disabilities in a way that allows them to interact with
other children as much as possible, to support their
integration in society. This applies to children with
visual, hearing or physical impairment as well as
children with behavioral, social or learning difficulties.
If the disability allows, a child attends regular school
classes.
 However, depending on the level of their disability,
education may take place in special classes.
 The Ministry of Education is responsible for
providing children with special needs with education.

11.  State educational support is provided to children with special
education services. Application is made to the Counseling and
Research Center in the district of residence; a hospital-issued
disability health report is required.
 Using various tests, the Counseling and Research Center
evaluates the physical ability, personal development
characteristics and the academic competences of the child and
provides recommendations on education. It also gives the family
guidance and counseling on the care and treatment of a child with
special needs.
- Documents required to apply for special education:
- Counseling and Research Center’s report
 Special Education Board’s report
 Written application by the parents to the school administration
 Personal development report of the child (for secondary
vocational education primary school diploma)
 Child's health report from the hospital

12.  The children with special educational needs must be educated
with their peers in the least restrictive environment
 According to the decision and evaluation of Counseling service
the child can be educated in;
-special schools
-special classes at mainstream schools
-inclusive classes of mainstream schools (individual integration)
 Students with mild disability are educated at mainstream schools
from nursery to secondary.
 In accordance with the Counseling Services report, disabled
students can get extra classes from special rehabilitation centers:
 8 hours individual
 4 hours group classes (the duration depends on the report)

13.  There are 3 types of inclusive education
1-Full time inclusive education (at mainstream schools)
2-Part time inclusive education (who is enrolled in a
special education class but joins to the mainstream
education classes with other students which s/he can
manage)
 3-Reversal inclusive education (students WITHOUT
DISABILITY on their request can enroll in the classes
arranged at special schools. The classroom size should
be:
 Preschool: up to 14 students/ including 5 disabled
 Primary/Secondary/High school: up to 20 students/
including 5 disabled

14.  Those who cannot get inclusive education at
mainstream schools (because of the level of disability)
or on parents’/student’s request can attend to special
education schools. These schools are 3 staged; the first
and second stages last 4+4 years. The third stage
schools are called Special Education Pre/Vocational
Training Schools/Centers and last 4 years (ages
between 16-23).
 The students over 23 can go to Public
Education/Training Centers without an age limit.
 For children with autism besides inclusive classes at
mainstream schools there are also Autistic Children
Education Centers (ages 6-15) and Special Education
Vocational Training Centers (ages 16-23)

15.  Students with mild mental disability:
At primary school these students are educated at mainstream schools
with the curriculum determined by the Ministery of Education.
Based upon this curriculum Individual Education Plan is prepared
by the teacher. On students’ request they can be exempt from
foreign language teaching classes.
For secondary school they can attend to either inclusive classes of
high schools or Special Education Pre-vocational/Vocational
Training Centres (SEVTC).
Who can apply to/enroll in SEVTC? : On the Counseling and
Research Service’s decision;
- Inclusive education students who graduated from mainstream
schools’ primary department
- Other Vocational High schools’ students

16. Academic education and pre/vocational work skills at SEVTC for
mild disables:
 Turkish lesson 9th year 4x45/10th,11th,12th 2x45 min lessons a
week/9th year
 Vocational education and professional ethics :9th year 12x45
/10th, 11th,12th years 14X45 min lessons a week (Horticulture
/Office services management/print works/food and beverage
services/Ceramics and glass works/furniture and
decoration/handcrafts work skills workshopps)9th year
 Maths /Social sciences/ visual arts/music/physical exercises
classes: 2x45 min a week/9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Religion class 1x45 min a week/9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Counseling class (by the classroom teacher) 1x45 min a week /
9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Optional course (music/visual arts/physical exercises) 2x45 min a
week/ 9th,10th,11th,12th year

17.  After working /practicing at different
workshopps in the 9th grade, according to
students’ abilities and request, school’s
Monitoring and Evaluation board decides to
which workshopp the students are going to be
placed. Each year they practice at different
workshopps to specialize in and find out the
best field appealing to them.

18.  From 10th to 12th grade with the Monitoring and
Evaluation Board’s decision, students are placed at
public or private sectors for apprenticeship. They
get 1/3 of minimum wage. Those who are placed
at work attend school for cultural and vocational
classes once a week and for practice at workplace 4
days a week. The students are monitored by the
coordinator teachers from school.In case the
student cannot adapt to the work a new placement
is done. If the student still has adaptation problems
can return back to full time school education.

19.  All the students attending schools with
mild/moderate and severe disabilities get a
report card at the end of each term. After 4
years compulsory secondary education they
get a graduation certificate. This certificate
cannot be used while entering university
entrance exam or for higher education.

20.  Content and time dedicated to subject pre-vocational work skills
at primary
-Social adaptive skills:1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th78th years 3x45
min a week
-Social studies class: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years3x45 ,5 th/6th/7th/8th
years 2x45 min a week
-Language and speech progress: 1st year 3x45 min /2nd 3rd
/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45 min a week
-Reading and writing:2nd and 3rd years 2x45, 4th /5th/6th year 3x45,
7th/8th years 4x45 min a week
-Maths: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 3x45 min a week
-Physical Education: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years 3x45, 5th/6th/7th/8th
years 2x45 min a week
-Visual arts: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years 3x45, 5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45
min a week

21. -Music: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45
min a week
-Nourishment education:
1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 5x60 min a
week
-Religion and ethics:4th/5th/6th/7th/8th year 1x45 min a
week
-Traffic and first aid:2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th years 1x45 min
a week
-Counseling class:1x45 min a week
1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years
-Free activity:1st year 4x45 min,2nd and 3rd years 2x45
min a week

22. -Social adaptive skills:9th/10th/11th/12th years 2x45 min a week
-Language and speech progress: skills:9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45
min a week
-Reading and writing: 9th year 2x45, 10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a
week
-Maths:9th year 2x45, 10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Physical education: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Visual arts: education:9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Nourishment education: education:9th/10th/11th/12th years 5x60
min a week
-Religion and ethics: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Pre/vocational work skills:9th year 12x45 , 10th/11th/12th years
14X45 min a week
-Optional course: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 2x45 min a week

23.  At the beginning of the school year for each student an
Individual Education Plan is prepared. IEPs are prepared
given the students’ abilities, needs and limitations.
 The Nourishment education class should be applied during
lunch.
 Given the students’ needs and performance levels Social
Adaptive Skills classes basically should help the students to
gain/improve self-care and pre-vocational skills.
 Pre/vocational workshopps should be opened/arranged
given the environmental factors and employment
possibilities besides economical, social and culturel
conditions
 All classes should be distributed evenly to the week

24.  The students who finish their compulsory
education with severe disabilities can attend to
Public Training/Education centers. They serve
as a Practical school where the students
according to their abilities and needs can get
further pre/vocational work skills and basic
life skills.

25.  Public Training centers(Practical schools) in Turkey were mainly founded
for adults which have been a part of lifelong learning. After the
regulations at compulsory school attendance duration the centers
started to serve to intellectually disables who are over 23.
 Public Training Centers provides education and training to perform
simple work activities for mentally handicapped or mentally
handicapped in combination with other disabilities and who doesn’t
have a further education or employment chance after graduating from
pre/vocational schools
 Training in practical school is done in modules. Every training module
has different duration. A student can attend to the same module at most
3 times. After completing a module the student gets a certificate and
can attend to any other module s/he wants. There is no time or age limit
at these centers. Students have 30 hours practice a week.

26. Vocational and practical subjects:
FAMILY EDUCATION
HANDICRAFTS AND SEWING
FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION/COOKERY
HOUSEWORK AND HOUSEHOLD MAINTENANCE
HANDICRAFTS WORK
WEAVING
DECORATIF WOOD ORNAMENTATION
SERVİCE STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMME
MUSIC (CHORUS )
DANCE (TRADITIONAL/MODERN DANCES)
SILVER/JEWELLERY DESIGN
TILE-MAKING

27.  Students with mild intellectual disability who have
good academic skills can study the 12th grade at
open/distant high schools. After graduating from
high school, they can enter university entrance
exams, apply for higher education or enter the
exam for disables to become government officer
(on condition of having %40 disability report).
 According to Article 30 of Labour Law; Private
sector businesses which have 50 and over
employee have to employ up to %3 of the workers
from disables. The businesses violating this law are
imposed a fine for each month they don’t employ a
disabled.