Ministry introduces regulations for Turkey's new ‘project schools'

Turkey's Ministry of National Education has established new regulations regarding the structures of "project schools."

Introduced to the public in 2014 with the purpose of offering the best education to students with top scientific and technological infrastructure, project schools consult with universities and feature practical, vocational training and various special projects as part of their curriculum. These schools will feature national and international projects as well as new elective courses that the Ministry will introduce for the first time in these schools.

According to the new regulations published in the Official Gazette, a Commission will be established to facilitate the application process for schools wishing to be placed in this category.

Project school applications can be submitted during the academic semester and assessment results will be announced in two months' time, while the provincial directorates of national education will inform the Ministry.

The deans and teachers of these project schools will be selected in a new process, assigned directly by National Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz rather than by the systematic assignment system used in other schools. Project school teachers are also required to have a minimum of four years of teaching experience.

As the new regulations suggest, students in the project schools will be chosen from project schools that give middle school level education by the high school administrations via written and oral examinations. Each class will have a maximum of 30 students and will welcome two guest students from other project schools located in the regions where security measures are underway.

Each project school in Turkey will be evaluated by a Commission every four years to ensure that curriculum standards and other regulations are being met. Any violations of regulations in these schools will result in the school's closure at the discretion of the provincial national education directorate and Ministry of National Education.