Education and learning have a very important place in human life with both individual and social functions since the existence of the individual.
Education not only changes, transforms and renews the individual, but also affects the society in this way. For these reasons, governments are closely interested in education systems.
In this sense, comparing the Turkish education system with the education systems of other countries is very important for the future of the education system. This is because such information is needed in order to be able to concretely reveal where we are and where we are aiming for.
On the other hand, countries determine their education systems according to the individuals they aim to raise. For this reason, each country has its own unique education system and program. These educational differences between countries offer alternative models for countries that want to change or improve their education system. In addition to this, changing social needs and technological developments make it compulsory to follow current educational approaches in order to ensure that countries can compete by increasing their human capital in the age we are in.
Therefore, a multidimensional examination of the education systems of different countries is critical in terms of providing resources for the changes envisaged in education policies.
In this context, “Comparison of Education Systems in the World and Turkey” [1]We would like to share with you the results of the study.
In a study conducted by the General Directorate of Secondary Education of the Ministry of National Education in July-2022, the education systems of Germany, the United States of America, Australia, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan, France, South Korea, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland and the Turkish education system were discussed under various headings.
Within the scope of this study, it is analyzed under the following headings;
-General information,
-Education indicators,
-The country's education model,
-Reforms in the education system, ruptures, reasons and process,
-Structure of the school system, school types, stages and duration,
-Transition between levels,
-Class passing, course passing system and graduation,
-Class repetition,
-Continuity/absence,
-Weekly timetables (by level and school type),
-Prevention, intervention and compensation programs,
-Documentation,
-Digital platforms and resources,
-Important activities planned and planned to be implemented in the country for the future.
As a result of the study, the following conclusions were reached;
Pre-School Education
Although pre-primary education is not compulsory in the majority of countries, it is widespread. In four of the 11 countries analyzed (Australia, France, the Netherlands and Poland), pre-primary education is compulsory.
Structure of the Education System
Education models vary across countries but are structured over 12 years. Generally, this structuring is planned in 2 or 3 levels. These levels are basic education, lower secondary education (or middle school) and upper secondary education (or high school).
Compulsory Education Duration
The duration of compulsory education in the countries analyzed varies between 8 and 12 years. In particular, this duration varies for reasons such as whether pre-school education is compulsory or not and the division of secondary education into lower and upper secondary levels.
Transition from Basic to Secondary Education
In six out of 11 countries, there is no centralized examination in the transition from primary to secondary education. In countries where there is no centralized exam, there are different practices in transition from primary to secondary education. These include school-based exams, address-based placements, basic education achievement scores and teachers' opinions.
Transition from Secondary to Higher Education
In most of the countries examined, centralized examinations are preferred in the transition from secondary to higher education. These examinations can be country-based or region- or state-based. However, in addition to the results of the central exam, other requirements (secondary education achievement score, certificates, letters of reference, etc.) are also required for transition to higher education.
Number of School Days
The number of school days varies between 180 and 220 days. Differences in school duration may be due to the number of semesters and the number of religious and national holidays.
Share Allocated to Education Expenditures
The share of education expenditure varies between %4 and %7 of GDP. In Turkey, this share is %4.29.
Class Repetition Practice
In most of the countries examined, grade repetition is practiced. Countries without grade repetition are Australia, England and Japan. Some of the reasons for grade repetition include students not attending school for a long period of time due to compelling reasons and low achievement.
Prevention, Intervention and Compensation Program for Grade Passing
As a result, most of the countries studied have prevention, intervention and remedial programs in place to prevent students from repeating a grade. These programs can be country, state, city or school based.
As can be seen, while pre-school education is compulsory in all the countries examined, it is still not compulsory in Turkey.
Education models are structured over 12 years and all of this period is compulsory. In this sense, our country's education system also has 12 years of compulsory education, but there is a conscious and systematic disinformation to abolish compulsory education.
In most of the countries examined, secondary education transition systems do not include centralized exams, but rather criteria such as school-based exams, teacher evaluations, address-based placements and secondary school achievement scores.
Most countries have centralized examinations for transition to higher education. The number of working days allocated to education varies between 180 and 220 days. The share of education expenditure varies between %4 and %7 of GDP. In Turkey, this share is %4.29. All countries have grade repetition, but prevention, intervention and remedial programs are also implemented to prevent students from repeating grades.
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- MEB General Directorate of Secondary Education (2022).Comparison of Education Systems in the World and Turkey. ↑