Here are some reasons why the Turkish education system fails its students.

High emphasis on grades: Grades, some children are built in different ways. Schools should help children find their path in life rather than forcing them all to chase good grades. In turn, it tends to discourage failing students while giving promising students a false sense of grandeur.

Lack of Motivation: Our education system needs to do a better job of inspiring or motivating kids to learn. People are encouraged differently; some want money and a position, some want comfort, some want a stress-free job, and some want to become athletes. But here, you are more motivated to avoid failing in school rather than learning for a profession.

Pressure on students: Aside from being extremely rigid, our school system gives students advanced-level subjects they need help understanding. While some are capable, not everyone can do math just for fun. So, it creates corruption where students cheat and beg for grades just to get by. Yet, students are forced to memorize such stuff. Being pressured and forced rarely makes someone want to do that.

High level of corruption: While having a solid grade system, our system is also blatantly corrupt. Teachers just give grades to students to avoid failing. In turn, it discourages other, more hard-working students from trying hard. Students cheat on tests, and sometimes teachers even help them cheat so they won’t be left behind. A student can study for a test for a whole night and get a B+, while some cheaters can get an A+. For most kids, it’s not a big deal, but for someone, lack of mentors and very little to no future felt like getting stabbed. After all, why bother working hard if cheaters just win in life?

Too long school years: Turkish formal education lasts 12 years. Stupid if you ask me. Learning how to read, write, do basic math, and have common sense in science would take five years at most. Everything else is just memorizing for a test. Unlike in Germany, where kids do apprenticeships in school and learn productive lessons, our education system doesn’t even bother with it. Twelve years is too long for someone to spend just memorizing and passing tests.

Lack of home education: In general, kids learn more from their parents than from school. In the past, vocations were taught from father to son. School was only valuable for learning how to read, write, and do basic math. Most parents simply expect kids to do well in school and make it without realizing they are the most prominent teachers. After all, the best athletes tend to come from athletic families, and so do businessmen, lawyers, etc. How can you direct your child to be a lawyer when you have very little to no understanding of being one?

Written by Yağız Edited by Cansu