Sezer Vetoes Law For Private Education

Sezer’s veto will delay the privatization of schools

Developed countries, outside the EU, encourage private education foundations since they lessen the state’s burden. In the United States, tax refunds partly cover school expenses. Other expenses, such as student transportation, health care, food, and textbooks, are covered by State budgets.

A research report on "Private Schools in the World and in Turkey", completed by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, noted an inadequate number of private schools in Turkey. According to the research the state needs to present new incentives to encourage more private sector investment in education. For example in Japan, schools begin to charge fees after obligatory education but textbooks and similar school expenses are still covered by the state. Some students are offered scholarships. Lunch is free of charge. One way the state creates space for the establishment of private schools is exemption from taxes. Experts state that countries have better education and fewer expenses after having transferred education to the private sector.

Assistant Director of Private Schools Associations Cem Gulan said yesterday his organization was against the categorization of private schools giving control to National Education.

"All of these schools have been opened according to the proper laws and regulations and they are audited by the state. If something is wrong, they need to be closed. It is meaningless to present such a reason. If we want to integrate with the European Union, we need to accept some changes."

Gulan reminded that private schools make up only 2 percent of all schools in Turkey and said that in Russia, which was once a communist country, the rate was 10 percent. Gulan added that all of the world’s developed countries encourage private schools and said, "It in the state’s interest to do so."

Tuncer Cetinkaya / Istanbul / TURKEY