Still no return to school for children in Turkey
The new school year in Turkey started exclusively online at the end of August. Although the plan is for all schoolchildren to return to school on September 21, it seems that for the time being only preschools and first grade classes will have in-person lessons, with all other classes continuing with online learning. Commentators are alarmed.
Equal opportunities are also essential online
The right to education for all must be respected at all costs, warns Milliyet:
“After the right to life, the right to a better education is our children's most fundamental right! If we can't provide in-person teaching, then we should at least ensure equal opportunities and accessibility in virtual learning. This is not just a task - it is our duty under the constitution! One day one of these children will shape our future! They will make our country and the world a better place to live in. ... And one detail must be stressed: whether virtual or in-person education is provided - in one area or another every child will be successful! ... We should not neglect any of our children!”
Plenty of solutions available
Educational consultant Turgay Polat explains in Yeni Şafak that he can't understand the decision:
“There were 1,898 new cases in Germany on Tuesday. Pupils have been returning to all-day school there since the beginning of August. ... In Turkey there were 1,761 cases on Tuesday. ... So I can't understand why the schools aren't opening. ... I keep repeating: if we don't open the schools, we will suffer enormous losses. So we should think very carefully and plan how to open them. First of all, we could open them on a province by province and county by county basis, depending on the number of cases. Secondly, we could divide each school into five groups and bring one to group to school each day to counteract the alienation process.”