President Gül approves democratization package

ISTANBUL – President Abdullah Gül approved a bill to close prep schools by September 2015 as well as the bill known as the "democratization package" proposed by the AK Party government.

The law pertaining to the abolishment of prep schools removes the definition of prep schools or "dershanes" from the relevant article and prohibits the reestablishment of institutions that serve the purpose of preparing students for university entrance exams.

Existing prep schools will be converted to private schools by the end of the 2018-2019 academic year. Institutions failing to meet necessary conditions to convert into private schools within the specified period will be prohibited from establishing new institutions.

The approval of the democratization package will introduce a number of democratic reforms designed to provide more rights and freedoms for all, especially marginalized minorities.

With the new law, political parties will be able to campaign in different languages during election periods and the obligation for parties to establish organizations in towns will be abolished.

The election threshold for receiving government subsidies will be lowered 3 percent of the vote, whereas it used to be 7 percent. Mayors, political parties, trade bodies and unions will also be taken into consideration when determining the place and route of meetings and demonstrations. Audio and video recordings of people who participate in such meetings and demonstrations will only be used for determining suspects of crimes and criminal evidence.

Other features of the democratization package include the implementation of penalties for prevention of collective or individual worship, or the prevention of an individual's right to education, in line with universal human rights principles. The package will also address social issues such as gender inequality, accessibility for people with disabilities, and increased rights for minorities.

The law to shut down prep schools has become a serious issue as the Gülen Movement, which is in charge of a significant number of prep schools in the country, has strongly opposed it and started a campaign against the government.

Those who support the closure claim prep schools have become a financial and psychological burden on students and families who are under constant pressure to keep up with the busy schedule and costs of the institutions in order to enter university. The government has proposed to revolutionize the education system and abolish the university entrance exams in efforts to bring it to global standards.