Türkiye has begun distributing more than 283 million textbooks prepared by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) to be provided free of charge to students during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Distribution has started at schools across the country, with teachers and school staff sorting the books and placing them on students’ desks ahead of the new academic year.
At Ümitköy Girls’ Anatolian Imam Hatip High School in Ankara’s Çankaya district, teachers and staff members sorted the textbooks individually before placing them in classrooms.
A total of 283,354,674 textbooks covering 2,025 different courses have been prepared for the new school year.
The books include 10 titles for preschool education, 420 for primary education, 340 for secondary education, 210 for special education and 1,045 for vocational education.
This year, textbooks for preschool, primary school grades 1, 2 and 3, middle school grades 5, 6 and 7, and high school grades 9, 10 and 11 were prepared in line with the curriculum being gradually implemented under the Türkiye Century Education Model.
The initiative is part of Türkiye’s long-running Free Textbook Distribution Project, which was launched in the 2003-2004 academic year.
Since the project began, 4.64 billion textbooks have been distributed to students across the country, according to MEB figures.
Alongside textbooks, the ministry has also prepared supplementary materials aimed at ensuring consistency in implementation nationwide, supporting teachers with additional resources and strengthening cooperation among schools, families and children.
For children starting preschool and first grade, the ministry prepared the "My Child’s First Step to School Notebook.”
Materials titled "Hakan and Bilge’s Journey Through the Turkic World” and "The Atlas of Turkic World Culture: Bilge and Hakan’s Journey Beyond Time” were also prepared for students at primary, middle and secondary education levels.
The materials were distributed together with the textbooks and placed on students’ desks ahead of the start of the academic year.
Program support for families
As part of preparations for the new school year, MEB is also implementing the "School Road with My Family Program” to support the adaptation of preschool, first-grade and fifth-grade students.
An adaptation week is taking place from Sept. 7-11, lasting five days for preschool and first-grade students and three days for fifth-grade students.
The program is designed to help students become familiar with their schools, teachers, peers, learning environments and daily routines, while encouraging families to take an active role in the transition process.
For preschool students, a School Adaptation Guide provides a five-day schedule, stakeholder responsibilities, key points to consider, and examples of games and activities. Families are also being provided with presentations on how they can support their children during the transition.
Separate adaptation presentations have been prepared for parents of first- and fifth-grade students.
The program will continue on a monthly basis throughout the academic year. For preschool students, activities will focus on nature, books, games, movement, research, art, creating and sharing.
For first- and fifth-grade students, eight developmental modules will be organized under four themes: "Daily Life Skills,” "My Family and Our Shared Values,” "Environment and Sustainable Living,” and "The Culture of Living Together.”
For first-grade students, the program aims to familiarize children with school principals, teachers, staff, school environments and routines while developing a sense of belonging and age-appropriate responsibility.
For fifth-grade students, it focuses on easing the transition to middle school by helping students understand the new school structure, subject teachers, learning environments and available support channels.
Families will receive guidance throughout the year through a Family Activity Calendar, monthly newsletters and a School Adaptation Materials Platform offering guides, activity examples, games, songs and digital resources.
Under a directive sent to public institutions, one parent working in the public sector may receive up to three hours of administrative leave during adaptation week upon request, in line with their child’s school hours.
The first term of the 2026-2027 academic year begins on Sept. 14.