There is a very special "student" enrolled at the Karaoğlanlı Elementary School in the Şehzadeler district of western Turkey's Manisa province: A dog named "Badem."
The friendly dog, adopted by 24-year-old teacher Elmas Tefçi, has quickly taken on the role of the school's beloved mascot.
Tefçi has been taking care of her loyal friend for four years, and her furry companion rarely leaves her side. Badem, who comes to school with Tefçi every morning and returns home with her in the evening, stays by the school's gate throughout the day. The dog accompanies the students in their games during breaks and has become their best friend.
Tefçi says she adopted the dog from the streets in the Mediterranean Turkish province of Antalya. Then Tefçi brought Badem to Manisa, where she lives, and started going to school with her dog every day.
Noting that her students learn how to love animals from Badem, Tefçi said, "Badem comes to school with me every day. He knows the teachers here and their cars. His reaction to strangers is not the same as his reaction to the teachers of the school."
"Dogs are among the most loyal animals to humans. Let's be careful not to harm them. They understand love and anger. They are very protective," s he said, highlighting that Badem does not harm the students in any way.
Aynur Gürbüz, one of the eighth-grade students, told Demirören Agency (DHA) that they love Badem very much.
Another student, Ecrin Erdemir, said that at first, she was nervous around Badem, but she got used to him. "I am not afraid of dogs anymore. Badem is with us every day and he plays games with us like a friend during the breaks," she added.
Meanwhile, the principal of the school, Murat Arpacı, expressed his satisfaction with the arrival of Badem. "Tefçi was actually our student. He graduated from this school. He has been working with us for the last two years," he said.
Noting that Badem is now a member of the school, Arpacı said: "At first, we were worried that Badem would harm our students. On the contrary, he instilled in our students a love of animals rather than harming them. Most of our students have overcome their fear of dogs thanks to Badem."