Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk introduced "Development of Distance Education, Design and Management Skills of School Administrators" within the Context of Inclusive Education" international accredited certificate program prepared by the Ministry of National Education in cooperation with UNICEF in order to assist school administrators to develop their design and management skills concerning distance education.
Stressing that training of school administrators is extremely crucial, Selçuk said, "Color, joy and quality of our schools are directly associated with competence and motivation of school principals. Due to this reason, this program actually has a historical significance. School principals are the architects of communications in schools. In this light, we will always support school administrators in their efforts to build more qualified communications."
Minister Selçuk stated that every generation has its own characteristics and school administrators and teachers should improve themselves constantly in order to keep pace with every generation adding that, "Actually, school administrators also manage a great transformation and change while leading their schools and your management methods have direct impact on the future of your schools, happiness of your students and teachers and the process of teaching. But if you resist change, you will see that the system will be blocked. Let us allow your children walk on the path that is opened by our administrators."
Noting that school principals are dealing with many bureaucratic transactions and logistics problems, Selçuk stated that his Ministry is working in an effort to reduce this heavy bureaucratic load and allow principals to deal with educational activities. Selçuk stressed that school principals and administrators have taken all kinds of measures in order to improve the education ecosystem and said, "Their improvement would mean happy teacher and happy students. No matter how good is our organization, we cannot be successful if we do not have a good education staff. The Ministry will be always on the side of school principals and administrators and we will always support them."
"As if they have a magic wand"
Minister Selçuk stressed that the Ministry has prepared many books on development of digital materials during distance education, maintain school safety during the pandemic, development of social and emotional skills, technologic leadership, project design, crisis and crisis management in cooperation with UNICEF and went on to say, "All these books will serve for the development of a common language and increasing the quality of education. Approximately, 50 thousand school administrators attended design and management skill improvement programs during the distance education process. I believe that this figure will rise and training will continue within the framework of these books and education software. When he or she is motivated, a school principal can show his or her real competence and trigger change. As if the principal has a magic want, he or she achieves successful projects such as changing the school's appearance, improving school-environment relationship, increasing teachers' satisfaction and encouraging students to adapt learning responsibility. As the Ministry, we did what we have to do and we know that school administrators will do the same. I believe that our administrators are capable of achieving all kinds of success stories."
"Pandemic period turned into an opportunity for education"
Ziya Selçuk reminded that the Directorate General for Teacher Training and Improvement had carried out many similar projects for teachers in the past and said that the pandemic also provided an opportunity for administrators to transform school culture and atmosphere and turn schools into a "home of peace." Minister Selçuk thanked UNICEF and school administrators and added, "Such projects will lead to a behavioral transformation in the short and medium term. Due to this reason, I value such projects."
"Turkey's largest professional improvement program for school administrators"
Meanwhile, Director General for Teacher Training and Improvement Adnan Boyacı pointed out that the 2023 Education Vision of the Ministry had underlined the importance of professional improvement of school administrators and the Ministry has developed many programs within this context. Stating that last year 11 thousand school administrators attended face to face professional improvement program organized in cooperation with UNICEF, Boyacı said, "It was Turkey's largest professional improvement program for school administrators."
Boyacı explained that the program included meetings where colleagues shared their experiences and second group trainings will focus on administrative, technical and communication skills during the Covid-19 pandemic. Noting that 40 thousand school administrators completed this training until now, Boyacı added, "We will continue to produce projects for school administrators for the future."