Content tagged with Ministry of National Education

Uncertainty continues over the status of guest students at Armenian schools. The 2026–2027 academic year began on Monday, September 14, but many Armenian families living in Istanbul have been unable to enroll their children in Armenian schools. An Armenian mother who has lived in Istanbul for 20 years spoke to Agos about the difficulties facing these families. The mother, H.K., told our newspaper that if the problem is not resolved, they will return to Armenia.

Just before schools were due to reopen, we learned that inspectors affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) had once again visited Armenian schools, and that they had specifically requested information from school administrators about students from Armenia, including information going back to previous years. Following at least two inspections, administrators at some Armenian schools have also begun to feel anxious about how they should proceed and are now unsure what to do about students from Armenia who come to enroll for the new school year. According to information we have received, they are telling Armenian families who come to enroll their children that they cannot register them.

The procedure of investigating the ‘race code’ of students in state records for students applying to non-Muslim schools is to be abolished. A public mandate has been prepared to end the procedure that received a very strong reaction. According to the public mandate that will be published in the Official Gazette in the coming days, headmasters will have the authority over school registrations. Schools will now also have the right to recommend teachers of cultural courses in Turkish to the Ministry of National Education.