When American philosopher and educator John Dewey said in 1916, “The school is not a place separate from society; whatever exists in society is reflected in the school,” did he realize that these words would still hold true a century later?
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu offers many more insights when analyzing the relationship between school and society. According to Bourdieu, the education system is not the source of inequalities, but rather a sphere where class inequalities in society are reflected and reproduced through the school. By reproducing the existing hierarchy in society (upper class–lower class), the school legitimizes inequalities and reinforces the belief that this situation is natural. The cultural capital possessed by the upper classes (language use, knowledge of the arts, behavioral patterns) is viewed as the fundamental value required for “success” in the school environment. Lower-class students who lack this cultural capital find themselves at a disadvantage in school. The habits, perceptions, and patterns of action (habitus) that individuals acquire from their social backgrounds shape their behavior within the school. The school perpetuates class discrimination by leveraging this habitus. In this sense, the school exercises “symbolic violence” by imposing the dominant culture on everyone and presenting it as a “natural” or “deserved” criterion for success.
Our country has been governed by AKP administrations for nearly 24 years. These long years in power have been marked by the consolidation of neoliberalism in Turkey, the growth and increasing influence of the capitalist class, the dismantling of labor organizations, and, finally, the rise of authoritarianism following the July 15 coup attempt.
This economic structure has also brought about social and cultural decay; with unemployment hovering around 18.5%, inflation consistently in the double digits, and income distribution as skewed as possible, the justice and healthcare systems operate solely in favor of the wealthy, with gender-based and workplace homicides reaching record highs, a social and cultural fabric in a state of decay, and an education system distorted by constant reforms—we are faced with a society in a state of gangrene!
What is at stake today is the direct reflection of the culture created by this social structure on our schools and our children!
In addition, the reality of substandard schools—resulting from the erosion of the teaching profession’s prestige due to the ‘technician-teacher’ model imposed by neoliberalism and the marginalization of teachers within the school system—is one of the root causes of the current attacks.
Another reason is that internet technology and the reality of social media have virtually trapped our society and our children in a straitjacket, compounded by the competitive education system currently in place in our schools, results-oriented assessment, excessive homework pressure, the absence of social activities in schools, and emotional breakdowns in teacher-student relationships—all compounded by family structures struggling with communication issues—have turned our schools into ticking time bombs.
The first of these bombs, ready to explode, went off in Şanlıurfa, on April 14, 2026, in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa, 19-year-old Ö.K., a former student of the Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, opened fire with a shotgun, wounding 16 people before taking his own life.
The second incident occurred on April 15, 2026, when a 14-year-old male student, İ.A.M., shot and killed nine people and wounded 13 others at Ayser Çalık Middle School in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş province, before ending the attack by taking his own life.
Although these incidents may appear to have been inspired by an online game, according to some claims, they are essentially the result of social decay and corruption. We can prevent such attacks in the short term through law enforcement measures, but the real solution lies in transforming our social structure in accordance with the principles of justice, equality, and freedom.