Mersin Provincial Director of National Education, Fazilet Durmuş, Met with Students in Silifke

The Provincial Director of National Education in Mersin, Fazilet Durmuş, wore traditional Turkish pants called ‘şalvar’ and joined students in harvesting strawberries in Silifke. Durmuş, along with the Deputy Director of National Education Fatih Burğut, Branch Managers Bayram Duman, Cuma İvrendi, İbrahim Halil Ulaş, İbrahim Kaya, and the District Director of National Education in Silifke, Mustafa Sezgin, visited the Silifke Agriculture Production and Science School and planted olive trees in the school garden. Durmuş also planted pepper seedlings in the school garden and picked fresh onions and garlic grown by the students.

The Importance of Nature and Agriculture Education

Later on, Durmuş, wearing traditional clothes, toured a strawberry field in Gülümpaşalı Neighborhood with the students and participated in strawberry harvesting. Durmuş stated, “Today, we are harvesting strawberries in the strawberry field with our students at our agricultural school in Silifke.” Durmuş added, “Our children not only produce strawberries but also plant and cultivate their own products, ranging from beans, cowpeas, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and then harvest these products.”

Emphasizing the crucial role of nature in the development of children’s intelligence, Durmuş said, “Our Minister of National Education made a new statement regarding the new curriculum. It is open to everyone’s views. One of the most important points in our curriculum is a skill section related to how much nature contributes to the child’s development. With the new curriculum, the consciousness of creating a sustainable environment by protecting nature is also included in the process. Our students in Silifke are already being prepared for this. I can see how happy they are.”

Nature and Life Skills

Durmuş, stating that nature puts everyone on an equal level, continued, “These areas also greatly contribute to our children gaining skills. With the earthquake on February 6th, we saw something else. We realized the worthlessness of our accumulated knowledge, possessions, and saw how valuable it is to have life skills. With this agricultural school, our children will acquire the ability to survive in life, continue this skill, and grow as competent and virtuous individuals who will contribute value to their country, humanity, family, and most importantly, themselves, on the journey to becoming a person integrated with nature in an educational process, which will provide them with significant benefits.”