Devlet Bahçeli, chairperson of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) in the People’s Alliance bloc, urged for the abolition of the university entrance exam. Bahçeli’s comments came two days after millions sat the two-day exam to secure a spot in dozens of universities across the country.
Addressing his party’s group meeting at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara on Tuesday, Bahçeli urged overhauling the current exam system, "which pushes our youth and their families into anxiety and stress. Instead, we have to ensure admission to universities without exams, with the help of a new education model which starts from the pre-school level," he said.
Bahçeli did not elaborate on how admissions without exams would be carried out. His party's policy declarations before an election in 2018 promoted improving education levels in primary and middle schools and guiding students to fields in which they are skilled and nurturing that skill or interest before university admission.
University admission exams have undergone numerous changes in the past decades and more changes are being considered. They faced criticism for cramming years of hard work by students on multiple subjects into a few hours. Since 2018, they have been divided into three stages, a basic proficiency test required for all seeking admission, a field qualification test that focuses on different subjects from language and social sciences to mathematics and a third stage for the English language. Students have to score at least 150 points in the first stage to secure an admission spot in higher education programs across the country.
"Being admitted to a university is an important milestone in the lives of people but it should not be the end of the world for those failing. It is not rational to suppose that the skills of Turkish youth can be discovered through a limited-time exam. It is wrong to think that a university exam can help the youth to understand different aspects of life. We don’t think it is fair to confine our children’s lives to two days of exams," Bahçeli explained.