Education Minister Nabi Avcı, in a video message released over the weekend, said the new education year starting today will feature fewer tests, less stress and more sports, adding that the ministry wanted students to manage their own time rather than having school dominate their lives. He said students spent most of their time at school and the ministry wanted to make this time as pleasurable as possible.

"Students should not be imprisoned in school. We want young people to spend more time being involved with literature, arts, music and sports. An authority managing your time is always easier, but we want students to manage their own time. We need some help from parents too. Children need to be educated, not in accordance with the times we grew up. They need to be trained for what awaits them in the future," he said.