Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said at the opening of the IV. International Montessori Summit in Istanbul that education is not merely a policy area for Turkey but an issue that stands at the center of national survival and the civilisational cause.
The summit, organised this year by Palet Montessori Academy MATEPP under the Yeni Türkiye Eğitim Vakfı with the theme "The Child in the Modern World: Understanding Risks, Liberating Potential", opened at the Boğaziçi University Albert Long Hall Cultural Centre.
Tekin remembered teachers and students
Tekin began his speech by remembering the teachers and students who lost their lives in the incidents in Siverek and Kahramanmaraş, and said they would not allow the pain to be exploited.
Tekin said that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan they have never stood in an understanding that passes their own responsibilities to others, and that they will maintain their determination to do what falls on them today and tomorrow just as they did yesterday.
He recalled that in a press statement made the other day they shared with the public the roadmap prepared for children to grow up in safety, for teachers to carry out their duties in peace and for the school climate to be protected from being swept away by violence and bullying.
Tekin argued that despite this, the government and policies that foreground national and spiritual values were targeted before all dimensions of the incident had become clear. He stated that the pain is being used for political purposes by some circles, and said this is not a search for solutions but opportunism.
Childhood, family and school must be addressed together
Minister Tekin said the incidents of recent days show the importance of addressing issues concerning children with greater attention. He stressed that family, school and society must be brought together with a more robust sensitivity.
Noting that the modern world presents children with both opportunities and serious risks, Tekin said digital tools and the intense flow of content make children's development more difficult. He stated that the issue of childhood must be addressed not only through teaching methods but together with values, character development and the culture of living together.
Saying that children grow up most through the language established at home, the attitude shown in moments of anger and the behaviours normalised on screen, Tekin said "Our children take over whatever we place before them."
He explained that for children to keep the right direction they need trustworthy adults, teachers whose words and actions are consistent, and an educational environment where every child can develop their potential.
Emphasis on the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli
Tekin said the direction the ministry has been focusing on recently has been designed to respond to this need. Stating that they are designing schools as a construction ground where the consciousness of living together takes root, Tekin described the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli as an important pillar of this approach.
He said there is a common direction between the Montessori experience and the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli in terms of an educational understanding that respects children's innate nature. According to Tekin, this approach aims to build a more encompassing educational horizon that opens the mind, nourishes the heart and strengthens character.
Saying that under Erdoğan's leadership education is seen as one of the fundamental areas shaping the country's future, Tekin stated that the number of classrooms, schools and teachers has been increased and that technological and social facilities have been improved. He said they are working to preserve both the physical and the cultural and spiritual dimensions of education, and that they have not deviated from this line despite the difficulties.
Tekin defined education as a great construction activity that preserves the nation's human essence and carries it into tomorrow. He said no future can be built by tearing this nation's children away from their own faith, history, flag, culture and conscience.
Noting that Turkey is located in a tough geography, Tekin said nations that can protect their children will survive, and societies that can keep their family alive will continue on their path. He stressed that schools must turn into places where knowledge is processed together with morality, belonging and character.
Tekin said they will strengthen the family further and reinforce the dignity, authority and guidance of the teacher. He stated that schools will be strengthened as places where children feel safe, where their effort is rewarded and where they learn the etiquette of living together.
The summit was attended by YETEV Board of Trustees Chairman Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Naci İnci, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Murat Mücahit Yentür, Yeşilay General President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Dinç, foundation representatives, students and some citizens.
