The Education System in Turkey

Figure A-17. Levels of education in Turkey, by age and year of schooling: 2013

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NOTE: Education levels are defined according to the 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED97). Ages represent the typical age at the beginning of the school year (rounded up when necessary). Numbers in bold print indicate ages of universal enrollment (i.e., an enrollment rate of over 90 percent). Numbers highlighted represent the age at which compulsory enrollment begins through the age at which compulsory enrollment ends. No meaning should be inferred from width of subdivisions. Duration of first university degree program is generally 4 years in Turkey. A striped box indicates that at the corresponding age or grade level, a student may be in a school classified in either of the boundary ISCED levels.
SOURCE: Classbase. (2012). Education Database: Education System in Turkey. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from http://www.classbase.com/countries/turkey/education-system; Eurydice. (2013). Eurydice Highlights: The Structure of the European Education Systems 2012/13. Brussels: Eurydice. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/facts_and_figures/education_structures_EN.pdf; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2013a). Education at a Glance 2013: OECD Indicators. Paris: Author; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2007). Reviews of National Policies for Education: Basic Education in Turkey. Paris: Author. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from http://abdigm.meb.gov.tr/eski_site/uaorgutler/OECD/oecd_6.%20Basic%20Education%20in%20TURKEY.pdf.

Preprimary:

• Common name: Ana okullari, uygulamali ana okullari, ana siniflari
• Ages of attendance: As early as age 3 through age 5
• Number of years: 1 to 3
• Start of universal enrollment: Does not begin in preprimary; see below
• Compulsory: No

Primary:

• Common name: Ilkokul
• Ages of attendance: 6 through 10
• Number of years: 4
• Universal enrollment: Yes, begins at age 5½¹¹
• Compulsory: Yes, begins at age 5½¹²

Lower secondary:

• Common name: Ortaokul
• Ages of attendance: 11 through 14
• Number of years: 4
• Universal enrollment: Through age 13
• Compulsory: Yes
• Entrance/exit criteria: Students who complete primary school can enroll in the general lower secondary schools or the imam and preacher lower secondary schools. Compulsory education was extended to a total of 12 years in 2012; thus, students who complete only a lower secondary education do not attain the Basic Education diploma (Ilköğretim Diplomasi).

Upper secondary:

• Common name:
  • Genel lise: 4-year general high school
  • Anadolu lisesi, fen lisesi, Anadolu oğretmen lisesi, Anadolu güzel sanatlar lisesi, güzel sanatlar ve spor lisesi: 4-year selective high schools for students who want to specialize in a specific area (Anatolian high schools, science high schools, Anatolian teacher training high schools, Anatolian fine arts high schools, and sports high schools, respectively)
  •  Sosyal bilimler lisesi: 5-year selective high schools for students interested in studying social sciences. Currently, there are 32 such schools in Turkey.
  • Meslek liseleri, Anadolu meslek liseleri: 4-year vocational high schools
  • Teknik liseler, Anadolu teknik liseleri: 4-year technical high schools
• Ages of attendance: 15 through 18 or 19
• Number of years: 4 or 5
• Universal enrollment: No
• Compulsory: Yes¹³
• Entrance/exit criteria: All students completing basic education (primary education and lower secondary education) are entitled to a secondary education, and only the following schools have entrance examinations. Science high schools (fen lisesi), high schools for social sciences (sosyal bilimler lisesi), and private high schools (Özel Liseler) are highly selective and accept students through a central entrance examination. Sports high schools (spor lisesi) and fine arts high schools (güzel sanatlar lisesesi) accept students through a talent examination. Upon graduating from high school, students obtain a diploma for 12 years of compulsory education (12 yıllık zorunlu eğitim diplomasi) if they have received a passing grade of 2 or above on a scale of 0 to 5.

NOTE: Apprenticeship training (2 to 4 years) is a dual training system that combines theoretical training (through vocational training centers) and practical training (through the workplace). It covers the education of those who have not been able to con-tinue their education after primary education or who have been left out of formal education for various reasons. Children who are at least primary education graduates and have reached the age of 14 can participate in apprenticeship training. Those who complete apprenticeships follow a process including examin-ationsand required work experience to get the qualifications of foremanship and mastership.

Postsecondary and tertiary:

• Common name: Universiteler, meslek yuksek okullari
• Ages of attendance: Varies
• Number of years: Varies according to degree program
• Universal enrollment: No
• Entrance criteria: The Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) places students into open higher education or 2- or 4-year university programs (or decides that students do not qualify for any placement). Students are selected using their composite score, which is based on their high school grade point average and their performance on the National University Entrance Examination (ÖSS), which measures verbal and quantitative abilities. The Foreign Language Examination (YDS) is used for selection and placement in higher education programs specializing in foreign languages and literature.

NOTE: The university selection and placement process and the limited supply of university places reveal a highly competitive process in which only a small percentage of candidates are placed in universities, even after repeated attempts. The Higher Education Council (YOK) modifies students' high school grade point average scores with either a positive or negative weight based on whether they are applying to a field directly related to their track in high school.

Common degree programs:

• Önlisans Derecesi or Diplomasi: 2-year associate's degree.
• Lisans Diplomasi: 4-year bachelor's degree.
• Yuksek Lisans Diplomasi: 2-year master's degree.
• Doktora Diplomasi/Bilim Doktorlugu Diplomasi/Tipta Uzmanlik Belgesi/Sanatta Yeterlik Diplomasi: Typically a 4-year doctoral program, but may be 5 to 6 years for a dentistry, veterinary medicine, or medicine program.

Sources:

Classbase. (2012). Education Database: Education System in Turkey. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from http://www.classbase.com/countries/turkey/education-system.

Eurydice. (2013). The Structure of the European Education Systems 2012/13. Diagram of Turkey's education system (p. 11). Brussels: Author. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/facts_and_figures/education_structures_EN.pdf.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2005). Reviews of National Policies for Education: Basic Education in Turkey. Paris: Author. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/39642601.pdf.

Tasar, M.F., Aztekin S., and Arifoglu A. (2012). Turkey. In I. Mullis, M. Martin, C. Minnich, K. Drucker, and M. Ragan (Eds.), PIRLS 2011 Encyclopedia: Education Policy and Curriculum in Reading (vol. 2), pp. 933–944. Chestnut Hill, MA: Lynch School of Education, Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.

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¹¹ This is rounded up to 6 in the accompanying figure A-14, which is in concert with the data presented in indicator 2.
¹² This is rounded up to 6 in the accompanying figure A-14, which is in concert with the data presented in indicator 2.
¹³ Per the country expert, education reforms in Turkey in 2012 extended compulsory education to a duration of 12 years, as shown here and in the accompanying figure A-17. This differs from the 2011 data presented in Indicator 2.