A private school in the Muratpaşa district in Turkey has come under fire for demanding 28,000 liras from parents of 6th grade students for an education set that includes story and textbooks, practical materials, and test papers. Some parents opted to purchase the textbooks from bookstores for about 5,000 liras due to the high cost. However, students who went to school with these textbooks were allegedly humiliated by teachers and administrators among their peers.
These parents claim that students without the leaflet test, practical workbook, and story book included in the education set provided by the school were threatened with not being allowed to take practice exams. They have filed a complaint with the Provincial Directorate of National Education, prompting an investigation by officials in response to the parents’ concerns.
Representing the parents, Defne Dilsiz explained that the school management had requested the purchase of an education set worth 28,000 liras consisting of textbooks in July. She further mentioned that the school management warned that the price of the unpurchased books would increase by 1000 liras every month, and by September, they demanded 30,000 liras. The parents managed to obtain the required books from bookstores and publishers for 5,000 liras.
Dilsiz claimed that students who purchased the education set received practical topic workbooks and test papers from their teachers at certain intervals, while those who did not buy the set were excluded from the classroom. She highlighted instances where administrators allegedly made derogatory remarks and emotionally manipulated students into feeling pressured to buy the books.
Dilsiz stated, “Our children attend a private school. They informed us that the cost of the books was 28,000 liras. For each month the books were not purchased, they added 1000 liras, and by September, they demanded 30,000 liras. Some parents did not buy the books from the school; we sourced them from publishers. We could not obtain the ‘experiment kit’ mentioned for just one month’s use in the English lessons. The school principal inquired about the absence of the experiment kit from our children. They applied mobbing, separating our children in class and pressuring us to buy the books.”
According to Dilsiz, they were previously informed by the school administration that there was no need to acquire these materials. However, they faced pressure from school officials concerning the absent experiment kit, leading to fears of exclusion from trial examinations. She also highlighted a regulation by the Ministry of National Education prohibiting the sale of books in private schools, and expressed their determination to resolve the issue through all possible means.
The school administration has not yet issued any statement regarding the controversy. The parents remain steadfast in their stance against what they perceive as unfair practices and financial burdens imposed on them by the school. The investigation initiated by the Provincial Directorate of National Education is ongoing to address the concerns raised by the parents and determine the course of action to be taken in response to the allegations.
