Government´s move to start a debate whether or not to ban the private university preparatory schools is weird, since;

1. Government´s claim that "State schools are so advanced now, that private support to education is no longer necessary" is false. The low quality of secondary education offered by the State will be embarrassingly obvious, if private institutions are banned.

2. The teachers, clercs, technicians etc., employed by these institutions,  that will join the army of jobless population will go as high as 650 000.

3. Integrity of "free market economy" will definitely suffer, if State bans a service an interpreneur wants to offer to willing buyers, a taxeable source will close and an impossible to track army of individual private tutors wll flourish.

NEXT : WHY then, does the Government see it necessary to start this debate ?

This probably is a pseudo operation by the Government to smoke screen the activities in Diyarbakır, also aimed towards a threat to the Fethullah Gülen who seems to control most of these private teaching institutions. I honestly expect the operation will be retracted.

Some of the Turkish press consider this Government move as a help to PKK. Gülen and PKK are competitors to lead Turkish citizens of the South Easten Anatolia, though using different methods and having different goals. Any move against Gülen may help enhance PKK´s hand in the area.

The current antagonism against Gülen may have a lot to do with the coming Presidential

elections.  

CORRECTION : Priminister, after this post, disclosed that FT owns only 25% of these institutions.

PISA RATING (2009)

See  http://www.oecd.org/pisa/46643496.pdf for International Pisa Ratings

PISA RATINGS are prepared to evaluate "what students know and can do regarding  reading, mathematics and science, with the education system offered in different countries.

You will notice Turkia ranka 40th in the list.

I wish we get an Education Minister who would concentrate on improving our PISA status, rather than following up weird political goals  on useless matters.

GÜLEN - PKK

http://tr.sterk.tv/3094-erdal-gulen-dershanelerinde-kurt-cocuklarn-deviriiorlar.html#.UotvBSdQjMO

The fact that private education sector exists is one argument against claims that it is no longer necessary - people who attend these schools somehow find them necessary

Have any other arguments for private preparatory schools closedown been presented by government? I suppose that argument was raised that existence of both private and public preparatory schools may create inequality in level of education accessible for people with different personal incomes ?