23 October 2025 09:06

In his video message, Minister Tekin addressed Israel's attacks on Palestine, stating, "I would like to express my profound sorrow over the attacks in Gaza, which have targeted civilians and continued for more than two years. We are facing a humanitarian crisis in which residential areas are being targeted, mass displacement is taking place, and basic services have collapsed due to access restrictions. One of the most devastating consequences of this crisis is the systematic denial of the right to education. A large number of schools and educational institutions have become unusable; teachers and students have been displaced; hundreds of thousands of children are unable to access schooling; learning loss and psychosocial trauma are deepening; and the risk of intergenerational poverty is increasing. Our priority must be the protection of civilians, the full implementation of international humanitarian law, uninterrupted humanitarian access, and the safe return of children to education. As policymakers, we know that a nation's peace lies in its children feeling safe at school. Its democracy lies in safeguarding the right to voice. Its human rights lie in preventing discrimination from crossing the threshold. What brings these assurances to life are the just systems we establish in our schools, the practices that exclude discrimination, transparent oversight mechanisms, and our firm stance against hate speech. If our children are safe, our future is safe. As you know, the fact that those who commit these crimes have at some point passed through an education system shows that the issue is not entangled in quantity but in quality, and it shows that a 'culture of achievement' detached from a foundation of values generates social risk, a reality we must recognize with painful clarity."

Minister Tekin congratulated the South African Presidency and its coordination team for bringing education to the forefront of the agenda. He noted that early childhood education in Türkiye represents a decisive threshold in enabling children to reach their full potential. Emphasizing that Türkiye has increased its investments in this field, Tekin highlighted that classroom capacity and school enrollment have been expanded nationwide, and innovative practices that facilitate access to education have been rolled out across the country.

In his message, Minister Tekin highlighted the innovations being carried out under the Century of Türkiye Education Model, stating, "We are simultaneously updating our programs to strengthen quality while equipping our children with the skills of today and the future. In this context, in 2024, we began implementing our Century of Türkiye Education Model, which encompasses all levels of education, including early childhood education. Our goal is to combine knowledge with skills and skills with values through a holistic, human-centered approach and to provide our children at every level with a safe, equitable, and participatory school climate."

"Our teachers are undoubtedly at the heart of this transformation. With the Teaching Profession Law, which came into effect last year, we strengthened the status and standards of the profession. With the National Education Academy, which we launched this year, we have institutionalized continuing professional development at every stage of the career, starting from pre-service," he said.

Minister Tekin stated that global needs place a shared responsibility on all of us, saying, "We are ready to share our experiences and good practices and to develop new forms of cooperation. Thank you for your contributions."

Meeting Details

During the two-day program, countries shared their good practices under the themes of "Quality Foundational Learning, Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, and Professional Development in Education in a Changing World."

In this context, the Century of Türkiye Education Model, aimed at improving the quality of early childhood education; the National Education Academy, which strengthens teachers' professional standards; and the ÖBA digital platform, supporting continuing professional development, were shared as examples.

These presentations provide a concrete example of Türkiye using education diplomacy as an active foreign policy tool, extending its educational transformation beyond national borders. The developed models are being shared with all countries, contributing to joint development and the goal of qualified human resources, while strengthening Türkiye's position as an effective, reliable, and solution-oriented stakeholder in the global education agenda.

Throughout the program, bilateral meetings were also held with representatives of countries and organizations to exchange views. Türkiye was represented by Deputy Minister M. Bilal Macit, Director General for European Union and Foreign Relations Ünal Eryılmaz, and Education Counsellor to South Africa Nedim Kaya.