During the Tanzimat period, a report on education was published. The report begins with the importance of the role of education in material progress and prosperity in general. The following section emphasizes the need for the country's population to benefit from education. As the third topic, it focuses on criticizing the existing education and especially primary education.
In the passage following the issue of primary education, the scarcity of higher education and the problems this creates are mentioned. After this, the main points emphasized are summarized in eight main articles.
These items are;
-The principle of education and compulsory education for the well-being of the nation,
-Regulation of the method of education, gradualization of education,
-Reform of the teaching staff, the problem of teacher schools,
- Expansion of education administration in the provinces,
- Expansion of scientific institutions,
- Financing education,
- The prevalence of public schools in the provinces,
- Sultanî, idadis and the issue of coeducation,
Following the aforementioned articles, it moves on to more concrete issues, first presenting a vision of the density of schools to be established by the state in the provinces. Then the role of high schools and middle schools in education is emphasized. After discussing the issue of coeducation of young people belonging to different communities in connection with these schools, another concrete issue, the financing of educational modernization and budgetary problems, is discussed and the necessity of continuing the educational reform despite these problems is emphasized.
Another problem that arises in this context is the issue of public subsidies and even education tax. The next part of the report focuses on the intellectual capital instruments on which the development of education depends, namely qualified teachers and textbooks. Another important issue addressed in the discussion of textbooks is the language of education. After discussing the issues listed so far in the report, the last part consists of practical solutions and suggestions for the realization of these issues.
The report first emphasizes that the main source of prosperity in the world is science and education. Then, it states that humanity has gained a tendency towards maturity over time and underlines that mankind's ability to progress towards civilization, to make discoveries in the arts and industry and to create the infrastructure for public works depends on knowledge and wisdom. Here, the terms 'ilm and marifat should be elaborated upon. In Islamic culture, the concept of 'ilm is used for divine and human knowledge as well as the physical sciences. Therefore, its meaning is quite inclusive. The term Marifah, on the other hand, in traditional culture means the knowledge of God and His attributes, actions, names and manifestations that is directly acquired through spiritual experiences. Therefore, the nations and peoples that are part of the civilized world will only be able to share in the economic wealth of the earth through the creation of the complete means of human education (terbiyyat al-humaniyya).
In the ideological infrastructure of the Turkish Century Education Model, the following determinations are made;
The basic concepts on which our civilization is built are rationality (the power of appeal, the ability to think and understand, which distinguishes man from other living beings and makes him responsible), heart (love manifested in heart life, saying goodbye to reason with reason. Understanding the inadequacy of the intellect with the intellect is also one of the means of being an addressee of revelation.) and zevkiselim (Verses that, when read or carried on one's person, are instrumental in the protection of Allahu ta'âlâ and in reaching Him.) In order to raise generations with matter-meaning, intellect-emotion, soul-conscience, human-society and time-space balance.
While the education report of the Tanzimat period emphasized that the main source of prosperity was science and education, the Education Model of the Turkish Century aims to raise generations of intellect, heart and mind!
As a result, while in the Tanzimat period, maarif was a tool for social discipline and, in the words of the Minister of Education, “strengthening education while at the same time preserving taqwa”, today it has been transformed into a means of understanding the inadequacy of reason with reason and raising generations that respond to revelation.
Sources:
The turning point of educational reform in the Tanzimat period: 1869 Dated Maarif-i Umumiye Nizamnamesi, Esbab-ı Mucibe Layihası ve ideological Foundations. Selçuk Akşin Somel
The turning point of educational reform in the Tanzimat period: 1869 Dated Maarif-i Umumiye Nizamnamesi, Esbab-ı Mucibe Layihası ve ideological Foundations. Selçuk Akşin Somel