Minister Tekin: “We are aware of our responsibility in the process of training artists who will make a mark worldwide.”

The Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, stated that they are aware of their responsibility in the process of training artists who will make an impact worldwide, saying, “We are trying to focus on themes to make our fine arts high schools thematic. This year, we have established a music primary school and a music secondary school within high schools, one in Istanbul and one in Ankara. In other words, there will be primary and secondary schools that provide only music education, which will then allow students to continue to high school. We want to start this for other branches of art as well. I believe we will achieve good results if we can initiate this at least at the secondary education and high school levels.”

To revive the national theater culture, the award ceremony for the ‘Intergenerational National Struggle Theater Play Writing Competition’ aimed at transforming national heroes from the War of Independence into theater plays with their students was held at the Ministry of National Education. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Tekin emphasized that the ministry’s main duty is to raise generations that will take care of the legacies of those who ensured Turkey was presented as a ‘homeland’ and instill a sense of unity. Tekin noted that the curriculum is also changing within this framework, stating, “We have initiated a process where our students and teachers can use their individual differences as a method, present, and make educational activities more permanent. Activities like this competition, which brings us all together, will be very important for us. The number of such events will increase. Therefore, organizing such a competition among our teacher friends is also very significant in terms of our approach.”

“We are aware of our responsibility in the process of training artists who will make an impact worldwide”

Tekin indicated that they want to use art as a method within education, stating, “On the one hand, we are aware of our responsibility in the training of our country’s artist candidates, in the process of training artists who will make an impact worldwide. In 2014, we created a legal framework under the name ‘project school’ where such innovations could be implemented among our schools. We aimed to provide a platform where we could take our children at an early age and nurture them according to their talents in various fields. The first example of this is the volleyball high school, followed by the football high school. We are now initiating some things that we could not do at that time. In other words, we had made sports high schools thematic, and now we are trying to make our fine arts high schools thematic as well. Let me mention another thing that we are doing for the first time in the 2024-2025 academic year. We are trying to focus on themes to make our fine arts high schools thematic. However, we had said that we would separate one of the themes we created as music-themed. This year, we have established a music primary school and a music secondary school within high schools, one in Istanbul and one in Ankara. In other words, there will be primary and secondary schools that provide only music education, which will then allow students to continue to high school. We want to start this for other branches of art as well. I believe we will achieve good results if we can initiate this at least at the secondary education and high school levels. Our example is the volleyball high school. I recommend you research the place of the volleyball high school we conduct with the Volleyball Federation regarding the current status of women’s volleyball in Turkey. If we provide our children with the right education to develop their talents at an early age, at the right time and with the right methodology, it is an indication that we will succeed. We want to do this in both sports and arts.”

The ceremony ended with a photo session after the awards were presented to the teachers who ranked in the competition. The award ceremony was attended by Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, students, teachers, theater artists, and the teachers who ranked in the competition.