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European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 13, No. 3 (1998), pp. 254-261© 1998 Routledge 0885-6257

Special education in Turkey

HATİCE GÜNAYER ŞENEL

Address for correspondence:Hatice Günayer Şenel, Ankara Universitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi,

Özel Eğitim Bölümü, CebecilAnkara, Turkey

ABSTRACT

In this paper special education in Turkey is reviewed. Sub-topics include nationaleducational organizations, together with related laws and regulations, the currentstatus of public and other education services, and personnel training in special edu-cation. Especially, public education services to individuals with mental disabilities,visual and hearing impairment, and physical disabilities are emphasized. The paperconcludes with a consideration of the problems and needs of the special educationfield in Turkey.

KEYWORDS

Turkey, special education, laws, regulations, personnel, public education services

INTRODUCTION

The Republic of Turkey is a democratic, secular country located at the edge ofwestern Asia and south-eastern Europe. The population of Turkey is approx. 65million and the size of the country is 788.695 km2. Turkey has a long history, goingback thousands of years even before the Ottoman Empire. However, the Republicof Turkey is a relatively new country which was established in 1923, after the warof independence led by the great founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkey is nowgoverned according to democratic laws.

According to the Constitution, which sets the system of separation of powers,the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) is in charge of legislation, executivepower is vested in the government and judicial power is given to the independentcourts. The economic system of Turkey is a mainly market-driven liberal economy.

Education in Turkey is handled by two institutions. The Ministry of NationalEducation is the main department in charge of educational issues in Turkey,including primary, secondary and high school education. Higher educationis administered by the Higher Education Council, an autonomous, public andjuridical body.

All education, including both public and private education in preschools,primary, secondary and high schools, as well as special education, falls under the

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Special education in Turkey 255

Table 1: Number of schools, students and teachers at different education levels

Education level

PreschoolPrimarySecondaryHigh schoolVocational and technical

high schoolTotal

No. of schools

6,83048,038

9,4382,4322,905

69,643

No. of students

198,9796,896,7622,651,0761,277,115

946,121

11,970,053

No. of teachers

9,622229,791

68,94469,53370,158

448,048

overall responsibility of the Ministry of National Education, except for universityeducation. Numbers of schools, students and teachers at the various educationlevels are shown in Table 1 (Ministry of National Education, 1996), which alsoincludes private schools, special education schools and other institutions.

The Ministry of National Education is served by various General Directorates,including the General Directorate of Special Education, Guidance and CounsellingServices; a Special Education Department operates under the said GeneralDirectorate. There are nine different divisions attached to this department, each ofwhich is responsible for education in the following exceptionality areas: gifted,visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech and language disorders, mental andphysical disability, chronic illness, behavioural disorders and the multiply handi-capped (Ministry of National Education, 1993).

HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN TURKEY

Before proceeding with the current status and related laws pertaining to specialeducation, it will be useful to provide a brief historical evolution of the subject.The history of special education in Turkey goes back to 1923, which marks the estab-lishment of the Ministry of National Education. However, before the establishmentof the Ministry of National Education, the first formal education for the gifted andtalented had started during the Ottoman Empire in 1455. The purpose of the EnderunSchool system had been to educate young, gifted people to become administrators,scientists and artists (Enc,, Caglar and Ozsoy, 1987).

Another special education movement in Turkey was started, in 1889, in Istanbulby the opening of a special school for those children with hearing impairment.Later, a section opened within the school for students with visual impairment.The age range of the students in this school was between 6 and 20 years, and themaximum attendance for students was four years. The school operated for 30 yearsand closed in 1919 (Enc, et al., 1987).

In 1921 an association for the mute and individuals with hearing and visualimpairments opened a school in Izmir. This school operated until 1950 under thecontrol of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. In 1951 control of the schoolwas transferred to the Ministry of National Education which separated the schoolinto two different sections, moving each of them to two different cities in Turkey.In 1955 the first Guidance and Research Centre, and the first special classes forstudents with mental disability, were opened in a normal school building (FirstSpecial Education Council 1991a, 1991b). In 1980 this centre formed the originsof the General Directorate of Special Education, which became the Department of

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256 European journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 13, No. 3 (1998)

Special Education, Guidance and Counselling Services in 1983. During these years;the major accomplishment was the enactment in 1983 of the Laws on Children whoNeed Special Education. However, before the enactment of this law, theConstitution of the Republic of Turkey (1982) had set the general rules for specialeducation.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, dated 9 October 1982 and numbered2709, has set the general rules for special education in Articles 42, 50, 61 and 70.Article 42 states that: 'For persons who need special education because of theirsituation, the state undertakes measures in order to make them useful for thesociety.' Article 50 of the Constitution states that the young, women and individualswith mental and physical disabilities must be protected within work environments.Article 61 of the Constitution requires that the state takes measures in relation to theprotection and adaptation of those individuals with disabilities in the society. Article70 of the Constitution further requires that each citizen of the country has an equalchance to become a public employee. As is seen in these Articles, then, individualswith disabilities are to be protected both in the education system and at work. Thisleads to the integration and inclusion of these individuals within the society(Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, 1982).

In addition to these general provisions of the Constitution, the Law on Childrenwho Need Special Education (no. 2916) was enacted in 1983. The purpose of thislaw is to set down rules in order to ensure that children who need special educationreceive an education in line with the principles of the Turkish National Educationsystem; have a job or follow a vocation; and adjust themselves both to the environ-ment and the society. With this law, disability categories, basic principles of specialeducation, the provisions and responsibilities of the public services as they relate tospecial education and personnel were defined. According to this law, children agedbetween 4 to 18 years who are unable to receive normal education services becauseof their exceptional physical, mental, psychological, emotional, social and healthstatus are those children who need special education (First Special EducationCouncil, 1991a).

There are also other laws which relate to special education. Article 6 of thePrimary Instruction and Education Law (no. 222) states that schools and classesmust be established for those children who need special education. Furthermore,Article 12 states that primary school students with mental, physical, psychologicalor social disabilities should be provided with special training and education (ibid.).

Another law in this area, the Social Services and Child Protection Institution Law(no. 2828), was enacted in 1983. According to Article 25 of this law, 'education ofchildren who need protection and special education because of their physical,mental, psychological, etc. disabilities should be accommodated in schoolsdetermined by the Ministry of National Education'.

These orders of the Constitution and relevant laws are implemented eitherdirectly or through regulations which lay down the detailed rules, the principles andgeneral requirements of the laws. In this context, two regulations have been put intoforce, one dealing with guidance services and the other with special educationschools of the Ministry of National Education. Regulation on guidance services isimportant for special education because Law no. 2916 mentions 'Guidance andResearch Centres' in the first instance when referring to special education institu-tions, and assigns them for the planning and implementation of special education.

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Special education in Turkey 257

The second regulation lays down principles for the establishment and operation ofspecial schools, as well as principles for grouping children, setting school levels onadmissions, registration and transfer procedures, and the duties and responsibilitiesof personnel (ibid.).

CURRENT STATUS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN TURKEY

As mentioned above, the Ministry of National Education has sub-departments underthe General Directorate of Special Education, Guidance and Counselling Services;Guidance and Research Centres are located under the directorate. Today the numberof these centres is 93, with 440 teachers. They are responsible for the allocation andplacement of students with special education needs. They assess and evaluate thestudents' abilities needs and interests, together with their strengths and weaknesses.At the end of this process, these students and their families are oriented towardsappropriate places according to their needs. The schooling ratio, of students withspecial education needs is 2.5 per cent (Ministry of National Education, 1993).Those students with hearing and visual impairment, and mental and physicaldisabilities, are served at special education placements. Other students, includingthose with different conditions of disability, are served by private institutions andorganizations, and the universities.

In general, there are three placement services for these students at the publiclevel:

1. Special schools with and without residential provision.2. Special classes in normal mainstream schools.3. Mainstreaming programmes.

These placement services, together with school, student and teacher numbers, areshown in Table 2.

Table 2: Public special education services: 1995-6

Service type No. ofschools

No. ofstudents

No. ofteachers

Special schools for visual impairmentSpecial schools for hearing impairmentSpecial schools for physical disabilitySpecial schools for educable mental

disabilitySpecial schools for trainable mental

disabilityVocational education centres for mental

disabilityHospital schools for children with chronic

illnessTotal

Special classesMainstream settingsTotal

944431

39

3

23

153

8282,4613.442

9016,720181

1,084

1,472

175

changes

10,533

9,8707,238

27,641

20694038201

337

11

30

1,763

830

2,593

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258 European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 13, No. 3 (1998)

Each exceptionality group differs in the quantity and the quality of the servicesprovided at the university and private institution level. Public education for eachgroup is explained with its own services separately.

Public Education of Individuals with Mental Disabilities

From 1959 the number of special classes for formal education of individualswith mental disabilities increased gradually all over the country. Today differenteducational placement opportunities exist for these individuals, as shown in Table2. Programmes in special schools and classes for students with educable mental dis-abilities are similar to programmes in the mainstream schools. However, coursesare supported by the provision of individualized instruction and special instructionmaterials. After graduation from the special schools and classes, students can entervocational schools. The aim of education in the schools is to help the students tolive independently. The students learn self-care, daily living activities and somehandicrafts. In the schools education continues for four years. In theoretical coursesstudents gain functional and academic knowledge; in practical courses there ispractice in woodwork, handicraft and home management. In addition, physicaleducation, music and art courses are provided in the programme (First SpecialEducation Council, 1991c).

Public Education of Individuals with Visual Impairment

In Turkey today there are various alternatives within special settings for individualswith visual impairment. One of them is provided by primary and secondary schools,both with and without residential students. At the primary schools, instructionalprogrammes cover not only the normal school courses, but also self-management,music, art, physical education, independent movement and model-making. Afterprimary school, students can attend special or normal secondary schools. In thespecial secondary school, students are provided with special education classes inmusic, handicraft, tricot, flower-making and macrame, according to their needs orinterests. After graduation from secondary schools, students can attend normal highschools, especially those providing residential facilities. Also there is an opportunityfor illiterate adults with visual impairment to learn to read and write and to obtainvocational training (First Special Education Council, 1991c).

Public Education of Individuals with Hearing Impairment

Today in Turkey there are different placement services for individuals with hearingimpairment. As shown in Table 3, there are special primary schools for childrenwith hearing impairment. After leaving these schools, students can attend normalor special secondary schools. In the special schools, the educational process includescourses in phonetics and lip-reading, and students are taught how to speak andexpress themselves. Also they are educated in handicraft, metal and woodwork andculinary skills. After secondary school graduation, students can attend the relatedvocational high schools departments. Similarly, illiterate adults with hearingimpairment are offered the opportunity to learn reading, writing and vocationalskills (First Special Education Council, 1991c).

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Special education in Turkey 259

Public Education of Individuals with Physical Disability

There are limited special education opportunities for individuals with physicaldisabilities. Only children with severe physical disability attend special schools; thefirst school for such children opened in 1974. Today there are four special schools,including two primary schools, one vocational secondary school and one vocationalhigh school. Except for the primary school, all of these schools are residential. Theirinstructional programmes parallel those offered in mainstream schools. In addition,these students receive Work and Art Education courses after the fourth yearat primary school. The aim of such courses is to develop the job skills of thestudents, according to their interests, abilities and capacities. Moreover, they areprovided with physical education and rehabilitation courses instead of the usualphysical education courses of mainstream schools. After leaving the primaryschools, if students' disability is so severe as to preclude attending normal secondaryschooling, they may enter the vocational secondary school for those with physicaldisabilities. They have a chance to specialize in vocational courses, includingtailoring, catering, carpet-laying, flower-making, tricot and bookbinding. Thesevocational areas constitute the departments of the vocational high school forstudents with physical disabilities (First Special Education Council, 1991c).

UNIVERSITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS

In addition to the public education provided in the schools of the Ministry ofNational Education, there are also different institutions and organizations for eachexceptionality group. Certainly the university hospitals and foundations, togetherwith the private schools, try to provide educational opportunities for individualswith disabilities (Table 3).

Table 3: Services provided by universities, foundations and organizations

Disability condition University Foundations Organizationsdepartments

Hearing impairmentVisual impairmentMental disabilityPhysical disability

10-6

24

24

1810

20262838

Related departments of the universities are responsible for diagnosis, prevention,rehabilitation, orientation and the provision of necessary equipment. Also they tryto provide vocational education for those individuals with disabilities. There arefoundations and organizations for each exceptionality group, providing education,financial resources, rehabilitation, vocational education, guidance, job opportunitiesand social support for the related exceptionality groups.

Hearing and visual impairment, together with mental and physical disability, areconsidered as main exceptionality areas in Turkey. These exceptionality areas havespecial educational and vocational placement options and related services. Otherexceptionality areas, including those with learning disability, speech and languageproblems, multiple disability and behaviour disorders, and gifted and talentedgroups, are educated in normal school settings.

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260 European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 13, No. 3 (1998)

Training of Special Education Personnel

The training of special education personnel at the university level was initiated bythe Special Education Department of Gazi University in 1952. The purpose of thisdepartment was to train expert teachers, administrators and inspectors specializedin different exceptionalities. This department was closed after it had graduated60 trainees within two years. In 1987 the department was re-established toeducate teachers of individuals with mental disability and visual impairment ina special education department. Today in Turkey there are four universitieswhich have special education departments. Two of these have special educationdepartments for teachers, of which one has two sub-departments for hearingimpairment and mental disability. Each year, almost 160 new students enterthese departments for training in the rapidly developing special education area inTurkey.

DISCUSSION

Since special education is a part of the normal education system, it is impossible toseparate normal and special education. Problems within Turkey's normal educationsystem are valid also for special education in Turkey. The main problem concernsinsufficient numbers of schools and trained personnel; furthermore, the lack ofnecessary equipment and the physical appropriateness of many existing schoolbuildings, together with excessive numbers of students in these schools and unsuit-able programmes for individualized educational needs and interests, are significantcontributory factors. These problems affect both mainstream and special educationnegatively: students in both educational settings cannot obtain the appropriateeducation according to their needs and interests, and only basic skills are providedto the students.

Perhaps the most important problem is that the actual number of individualswith special education needs is not known: screening and identification of all theseindividuals is necessary. Therefore a team including representatives of all relateddisciplines should be formed in Turkey, in order to reach these individuals.

In Turkey, although the necessity of mainstreaming and the related laws isaccepted, adequate preparation for mainstreaming has not yet been achieved. Forits success a long-term plan of reform needs to be implemented in all educationalareas, especially in regard to the quality and quantity of the schools, personnel andprogrammes.

Public schools and institutions for individuals with disabilities are neithersufficient in quantity or quality and, consequently, private schools and institutionshave been gradually increasing. The state provides partial financial support to theseprivate schools and institutions. However, according to the existing laws, it is theresponsibility of the state to open and to operate public schools and institutionsin order to reach the levels of educational services provision necessary to allchildren with special education needs. Only when the number of public schoolsand institutions for individuals with disabilities are increased, and supported withthe necessary equipment and trained personnel, will the state be able to meet therequirement of the law.

The numbers of special education departments are insufficient. Student selectionto these departments should not be based only on general aptitude tests in theuniversity entrance exam, but also on the students' personality, interests andabilities. The numbers of the related departments, and specialization in the

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Special education in Turkey 261

departments, ought to increase in order to contribute both to staff development andquality. Moreover, there should be closer and more frequent cooperation andexchange of ideas between the Ministry of National Education and the universities.In short, Turkey is at the beginning stages of its special education programmes whencompared to developed countries such as the USA.

There have been new developments which could be considered positive andcontributory to special education in Turkey. One of them is the restructuring ofspecial needs education departments in universities by focusing on training teachersfor children with mental disabilities, hearing impairment and visual impairment inorder to overcome the problem of the insufficient number of trained personnel. Oneof the other new developments is the start of early special education programs atsome universities with organisational support. The purpose of this home based earlyspecial education program is to help the parents in applying the program to childrenwith physical and mental disability. In addition to these developments, a newgovernment institution called Administration for the Disabled has been established.Enactment of a special regulation called the Law Empowered Decree on SpecialEducation is the development in the legal area. The purpose of this decree is todetermine a structure for using the rights to general and vocational education forindividuals who need special education.

REFERENCES

ENÇ, M., ÇAĞLAR, D., ÖZSOY, Y. (1987). Introduction to Special Education. Ankara:Ankara Üniversitesi Yayinlari.

FIRST SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNCIL (1991a). Rgulations on Special Education:Laws, Regulations and Directives. Ankara: Ministry of National Education Printhouse.

FIRST SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNCIL (1991b). Reports, Discussions and Decisions.Ankara: Ministry of National Education Printhouse.

FIRST SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNCIL (1991c). Special Education InstitutionsHandbook. Ankara: Ministry of National Education Printhouse.

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION (1993). Sources on Special Education. Ankara:Ministry of National Education Printhouse.

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION (1996). Statistics on National Education.Ankara: Ministry of National Education Printhouse.

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