2.4. SPECIAL EDUCATION

In our country, educational services are provided in special education schools to children and young people in five groups: the sight impaired, the hearing impaired, the orthopedic impaired, the mentally impaired and children with long-term illness. Of the children in all groups, those in a suitable condition are included in integration education in normal schools and benefit from education services through special education classes and supportive education. Special education schools and institutions consist of:

Table 49. Number of Schools, Students and Teachers at Special Education in 2000-2001 Academic Year

Source: MONE APK Note: Quantitative data as of October 1, 2000.

In the 2000-2001 academic year, 16,100 students receive education and 2,600 teachers serve at the 269 special education schools and institutions.

2.4.1. Education for Talented and Gifted Children

In order that the talented or gifted children at the age of primary and secondary education can be aware of their individual talents and develop and use their maximum capacity, science and art centers were opened as autonomous special education institutions.

Within the pilot project for science and art centers, such centers were opened in Ankara, Bayburt, Trabzon, Sinop, Tekirdağ, Bursa-Mustafakemalpaşa, İstanbul, İzmir-Urla and Isparta and started education in Ankara , Bayburt, Bursa-Mustafakemalpaşa, Tekirdağ and İzmir. Infrastructure works are still going on in the other provinces.

Science and art centers aim to provide individual or group education to talented or gifted children at the age of primary or secondary education according to their capacities, interests and inclinations in their spare time left over formal education.

In addition to these, such centers aim;

• To solve problems in practical and real life,
• To think realistically about the functions, processes and realities of daily life,
• To handle the daily problems with all their aspects, to create revolutionary proposals, alternative processes and new solution methods,
• To be aware of necessities and problems in various business areas, to develop and propose revolutionary ideas, techniques and tools,
• To solve the problems through projects with stages of necessity analysis, planning, budget preparation, implementation and evaluation,
• To become productive and problem solving individuals combining scientific thinking and behavior with aesthetic values by developing their special talents.

2.4.2. Guidance Research Centers (GRC)

Guidance and research centers were opened in order to undertake guidance and psychological counseling works at training and education institutions effectively as well as to analyze the individuals necessitating special education, to determine the most suitable education environment for these individuals and to provide guidance and psychological counseling to such individuals.

Table 50. Number of Guidance Research Centers (GRC) and Guiding Teachers in 2000

In the 1999-2000 academic year; 260,500 students receive education and 24,100 teachers serve at the 1,800 schools within the formal education system. 1,800,000 people receive education or training and 39,300 teachers, trainers and instructors serve at the 5,000 private education courses and training courses within the non-formal training system.

2.5.1. Types of Private Education Schools

These are the private training institutions aiming to provide driving education and to train motor vehicle drivers within the regulations prepared on the basis of Law No: 625 and Article 123 of Motorways Traffic Code No: 2918. There are 1.830 Motor Vehicle Driving Courses in 81 provinces and 690 districts. It is obligatory to implement the training programs prepared by MONE in motor vehicle driving courses.

2.5.4. Student Study Centers

2.6. HIGHER EDUCATION

Universities Faculties Institutes Higher Schools

Vocational Higher Schools Conservatories Research and Application Centers

• Priority or strategic importance of the provinces in which universities are proposed to be established,

• If there are other universities in that province or surrounding provinces; if any, the major areas of the newly proposed university and justifications, consequently the possible cooperation plans of the new university with the surrounding universities in order to provide rational utilization of resources,
• Plan regarding how the faculties and higher schools within the new university shall meet the necessities of the province, region and country,
• Existence of the opportunities to gather academic, social and administrative units of the new university in the same campus,
• If the employment status of the graduates of the new university has been considered or not in determining the faculties and higher schools,

• Existence of at least 3.000 higher education students in the province which the university is planned to be established,
• Targeting the optimum student capacity of the new university as 10.000 and the contribution of local administration in this framework,

• Establishment of pension capacity of 5.000, 1.500 being at establishment,

• On the basis of one teaching staff for 25 students, establishment of lodging capacity for 400 teaching staffs.

Source: MONE General Directorate of Higher Education

However, in year 2000;

• Within State universities; 21 faculties, 5 institutes, 12 higher schools, within foundation universities; 15 faculties, 16 institutes, 4 higher schools, 1 vocational higher school was established.
• Civil Aviation Vocational Higher School under Erciyes University is transformed into Civil Aviation Higher School. Vocational Education Faculty under Gazi University and Vocational Non-Formal Faculty were merged under the name Vocational Education Faculty.

©2002 Republic Of Turkey
Ministry Of National Education
All Rights Reserved.