T.C. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION

1. T.C. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION

2. TURKISH NATIONALEDUCATION SYSTEM

3. Education in Turkey is governed by a national system which was established in accordance with the Atatürk Reforms after the Turkish War of Independence.

4. By 2012 children are obliged to take 12 years of education between the ages of 6 and 18. This system is called as 4+4+4 in Turkey. The pupils aren’t obliged to nursery school. It’s optional between the 3 and 6 ages.

5. PRIMARY SCHOOL(Turkish:ilkokul) Pimary school lasts 4 years: • The first grade > for 6 years old. • The second grade > for 7 years old. • The third grade > for 8 years old. • The fourth grade > for 9 years old.

6. There are two types of primary Schools in Turkey: • Public schools • Private schools Robert College of İstanbul

7. There are four core subjects at the first, second and third grades: • Turkish • Maths • Hayat Bilgisi(literally meaning "Life Knowledge") • Foreign language

8. At the fourth grade Hayat Bilgisi (literally meaning "Life Knowledge")is replaced by Science and Social Studies. • The foreign language taugh at schools changes from school to school. The most common one is English when some schools teach German, French or Spanish instead of English. Some private schools teach two foreign languages at the same time.

9. SECONDARY SCHOOL(Turkish: Ortaokul) Middle school lasts 4 years: • The fifth grade > for 10 years old. • The sixth grade > for 11 years old. • The seventh grade > for 12 years old. • The eighth grade > for 13 years old. There are two types of middle schools: • Public schools • Private schools

10. There are five core subjects at sixth and seventh grades: • Turkish • Maths • Science • Social Studies • Foreign Language.

11. At the eighth grade, Social studies is replaced by History. • The foreign language taugh at schools changes from school to school. The most common one is English when some schools teach German, French or Spanish instead ofEnglish. Some private schools teach twoforeign languages at the same time.

12. HIGH SCHOOL(Turkish: Lise) High school lasts 4 years, with some high schools having an additional year of preparatory classes in a foreign language. • The ninth grade > 14 years old. • The tenth grade > 15 years old. • The eleventh grade > 16 years old. • The twelfth > 17 years old.

13. All 9th graders are taught the same classes nationwide, with minor differences in certain cases. These classes are: Turkish language, Turkish literature, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geometry, World History, Geography, Religion & Ethics, Physical Education, a foreign language (in most cases English), a second foreign language (most commonly German but could be French, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, or Chinese).

14. When students enter the 10th grade, they typically choose one of four tracks: Turkish language–Mathematics,Science,Social Sciences, and Foreign Languages. • At the end of high school, following the 12th grade, students take a High School Finishing Examination and they are required to pass this in order to take the University Entrance Exam and continue their studies at a university. There are four score types for different academic fields.

15. UNIVERSITY(Turkish: Üniversite) • After the national university entrance examination organized by the national examing body students, if they succeed, continue with their studies at a university. • Universities provide either two or four years of education for undergraduate studies, while graduate programs last a minimum of two years. Some universities also ask for an additional year of English preparatory study to be completed before the start of studies, unless an exemption examination is passed.

16. Turkish universities actively participate in the Socrates - Erasmus program of the European Commission, aiming to increase student and academician mobility within the European Union, the European Economic Area countries, and other EU candidate states.