Education of Disadvantaged Children in OIC:
The Key to Escape from Poverty
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must be aware and responsive to the rapid pace of technological change to efficiently make use of
the technology in a classroom environment.
Conditional Cash Transfers
Ministry of Family and Social Policies provides cash transfers to the poor and vulnerable families
in need with the condition of sending their children to school. The budget of the programme is
financed by Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund resources. Within the context of the program,
almost 4.9 billion TRY have been allocated to families.325 Within the scope of the program starting
from 2003, payments are sent directly to the bank account of the mother of the children. The
transfer amount varies with level of education and gender. In order to increase girls’ enrolment
in education, the transfer amount for girls is higher than for boys. For children in primary
education, families are paid 40 TRY for girls, 35 TRY for boys, and for children in secondary
education families are paid 60 TRY for girls and 50 TRY for boys.326 Additionally CCT is also
provided to the families of the children in pre-primary education. An impact evaluation of the CCT
programmes have found a significant increase in enrolment rates. Secondary school enrolment
rates were also increased and the report concludes an overall positive impact on achieving the
intended results.327
Syrian children’s integration in education
Syrian citizens under temporary protection in Turkey receive education in the public schools or
Temporary Education Centres (TECs) opened in line with the circular no 2014/21. A variety of
studies are being conducted by the Ministry of National Education to ensure that Syrian students
are able to receive equal education and education in the same conditions for Turkish students.
In order to provide a quick response to the situation, the Directorate of Migration and
Emergencies was established under the Lifelong Learning Directorate of the MoNE. Temporary
Education Centres (TECs) located in provinces with large numbers of refugees were opened up to
accommodate the needs of education of Syrian children. Temporary Education Centres also
provide service inside refugee camps. In these centres Syrian children are taught by Turkish
teachers and Syrian volunteer teachers. TECs will gradually be closed in 3 years and all Syrian
children are planned to be integrated into formal Turkish schools. To this end the MoNE is
currently building new schools and classrooms to be able to provide enough physical space for
the children.328
According to November 2016 data of General Directorate of Immigration, Syrian children at
school age (833,039 children) are being gradually registered to the public schools affiliated with
the Ministry of National Education.329 In 14,942 public schools affiliated with MoNE (outside of
325 Obtained from Ministry of Family and Social Policies through formal writing
326 Ministry of National Education strategy Development Presidency (2016)
327 Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family and Social Policies (2012)
328 Ministry of National Education strategy Development Presidency (2016)
329 The information in this paragraph is provided by Ministry of National Education through formal writing.