21 October 2021 12:34

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer announced the Ministry will start to distribute free supplementary text books and training materials at all levels of education starting from November.

Özer pointed out that AK party governments have been making investments for increasing the quality of education since 2002 adding that they also worked as a part of their goal to improve access to education at all levels and schooling rates. Özer said during an interview with the Anatolia News Agency that they have taken important steps for distributing free supplementary text books for the reinforcement of equal opportunity in education in the country.

Minister Özer noted that they have distributed more than 3 billion and 374 million free textbooks since 2003 adding that they will continue to do so.

Concerning free supplementary text books and training materials, Özer stressed that the Ministry is working in an effort to provide free supplementary books and sources to students and teachers.

He went on to say:

"We have taken steps in an effort to provide supplementary text books and training materials not only for students who will enter the High School Entrance (LGS) and Examination of Higher Education Institutions (YKS) exams but for all students enrolled at all levels and grades of education. In the first week of October, we have opened supplementary text books, activity books and other sources to the free access of teachers and students through our website".

"We have prepared a directive concerning distribution of supplementary textbooks and teaching materials"

Özer stated that the Ministry has prepared a new directive concerning free distribution of supplementary textbooks and teaching materials and added:

"We continue to distribute text books for free while we also provide free access to teachers and students to supplementary training materials and textbooks prepared by our Ministry. Furthermore, we have decided to distribute printed versions of supplementary text books, activity books and training materials for free at every level of education starting from November. Actually, we have already started free distribution of printed supplementary books. A week ago, I was in Ağrı and we distributed free supplementary text books to each and every 140 thousand students in the city during my visit."

Reminding that school principals and teachers do not have the right to dictate students to buy certain supplementary text or activity books, Özer went on to say:

"The Ministry of National Education has the obligation to provide assistance to all of our students. We have used this as an opportunity to overcome learning loss that occurred during the pandemic. We will provide free printed and digital supplementary training materials for our students throughout the country for the rehabilitation of learning loss."

Noting that experienced and expert staff had prepared the supplementary textbooks, Özer said, "Our team who has been preparing supplementary text books, question banks and activity books for all levels of education varying from basic education to secondary education, from special education to vocational training for years exceeded its capacity and formed an incredible source pool in order to increase the quality of education"