Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer attended the first session of the forum which was participated by the education ministers of more than 100 countries this year.

 

Özer also visited the Turkish Embassy in London as a part of his visit to London.

 

Minister Özer noted that the forum is an international activity where education ministers, education stakeholders and decision-makers get together once a year in order to discuss the existing situation of education and factors that will have an impact in the future.

 

Stating that Covid-19 pandemic affected the education sector most, Özer said, "The main theme of the World Education is how the pandemic changed education, preparedness against possible new pandemic, digital skills, new education platforms, new skills and maintaining equal opportunities."

 

Özer is expected to have a meeting with Minister of State for School Standards Robin Walker as a part of his contacts in the United Kingdom.

  

Answering a question about developments in vocational education in Türkiye, Özer said, "Türkiye experienced traumas in this field and the labor market had difficulties in finding the quality of employees. But, we have carried out important projects and campaigns for vocational education. Recently, we have included workforce market representatives to vocational education process an updated curriculum in cooperation with potential employers."

 

Özer noted that vocational high school graduates have priority in employment adding that, "campaigns started an important transformation in the vocational education. More students wanted to enroll in these schools, employers started to talk about the improved quality of education and production income of these schools increased."  

 

Stressing that vocational education played a major role in the production of masks, disinfectants and other required medical materials during the pandemic, Minister Özer went on to say that, "Right now, all vocational schools in our country are making production. They are designing new projects with employers and innovative new approaches. They are making an important contribution not only to responding to human resources demand but also to production capacity. Vocational Education in Türkiye has entered a new era. "

Özer also mentioned preschool schooling rates in the country and said that the Ministry is aiming at increasing the schooling rate among 5 year old children to 100 percent until the end of 2022.

 

The Ministry is carrying out a project under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's spouse Emine Erdoğan aiming at opening 3 thousand new kindergartens and 40 thousand new preschool classrooms.