Maviş: “Construction and Reinforcement Works in 27% of Schools Will Extend Into New Term”

According to KTÖS, Maviş recalled that during the last school year, 294 classrooms were vacated due to building safety concerns, and 218 container classrooms were installed as replacements. He added that currently, 12% of students are being educated in container classrooms, while 14% of schools remain partially vacated.

Highlighting that many maintenance, demolition, reconstruction, and additional classroom tenders were completed between May and July, Maviş said the delivery periods in contracts ranged from 90 to 120 days. He warned that ongoing works will overlap with the new school year, stressing, “Schools will have to cope with both containers and construction simultaneously. During this period, building, school, and student safety will be the top priority.”

Construction and Reinforcement Status

Maviş provided detailed information on the construction and reinforcement status of schools:

• Schools with completed tenders: Şht. Hüseyin Akil Primary School, Ulukışla Primary School, Serhatköy Primary School, Zümrütköy Primary School, Vadili-İnönü Primary School (İnönü building), Mustafa Kemal Primary School (Yıldırım building), Arabahmet Primary School, Şht. Zeki Salih Primary School, Alasya Primary School, Şht. Tuncer Primary School, Özgürlük Primary School.

• Schools to be demolished and rebuilt: Gaziköy Kindergarten, Çamlıbel Aysun Primary School, Karakol Primary School, Alaniçi Primary School, Çağlayan Cumhuriyet Primary School, Tuzla Şht. Özdemir Kindergarten, Çayırova Primary School, Yeşilyurt Primary School, Şht. Yalçın Primary School, Necati Taşkın Primary School, Dörtyol Primary School, Haspolat Primary School.

• Municipality-run projects: Esentepe Primary School, Karaoğlanoğlu Primary School, Çatalköy Primary School, Alayköy Primary School, Şht. Mehmet Eray Primary School, Cihangir-Düzova Primary School.

• Pending decisions: Lefke İstiklal Primary School (Monuments High Council).

Student Density and Infrastructure Needs

Maviş emphasized that 70% of primary school students—12,363 children—are concentrated in just 27 schools, while the remaining 30%—5,287 students—are distributed across 53 schools, noting a need for at least 10 new schools.

Psychosocial Support and Teacher Shortages

Maviş highlighted that bullying and problematic behaviors in schools have reached concerning levels. He stated, “70% of schools struggle to manage challenging student behaviors. 61% lack Psychological Counseling and Guidance (PDR) support, and 49% have no special education assistance.”

He criticized the extremely limited vacancies for special education teachers (10) and guidance counselors (1), describing the situation as a major disappointment for education. Maviş welcomed the acceleration of permanent appointments for preschool, classroom, special education, and guidance teachers before the election ban, stressing the importance of shared responsibility. He also noted that the decree-law (KHK) has conducted ranking exams for many teaching fields, and emphasized that the Ministry of Education must follow this order in temporary assignments to ensure fairness and merit.

“Protect Public Education”

Maviş concluded by underscoring that access to quality education is a fundamental human right and a matter of public interest. He said, “To ensure inclusive, high-quality public education for all, public education systems must be fully funded, and we must resist budget cuts, austerity measures, and neglectful policies.”

He called on society to stand in defense of public education.