Where the Problems Start in this Country

One of the major topics of conversation this past weekend was the state of Turkish education: elementary, middle and lise. We all pretty much agree, that Turkey makes the American system look pretty damn good. But we are headed down the Turkish road with NCLB …
There is a distinct lack of student involvement in and enthusiasm for learning here. Turkish students for the most part don’t learn to ask questions, think creatively, or synthesize information to arrive at their own conclusions. They don’t learn to write. Why? Tests. Teachers teach to the test and students absorb only what will help them get a score high enough to get into university.
(Note: Elementary school students do have some things going for them, at least at the private schools. They learn music, they have art classes, sports and chess. But all these things drop away as they get close to the big tests of fifth grade.)
Turkish parents who are friends of mine tell me they’ll only have one kid because they are so afraid of the educational system. They want a way out, but I don’t think homeschooling is legal here. Smart grad students tell me they got nothing from their school days. Turkish teachers despair over the system, but have no tools to change things. Innovative artsts, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs in Turkey succeed in spite of their education, not because of it. As one American teacher lamented to me, we don’t have anything to fear from Turkey. And that’s so sad.