Turkey has halted face to face teaching and started distance education in March due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk stated that approximately 800.000 foreign students studying in primary, secondary and high schools in Turkey due to various different reasons are included in the distance education system during this process adding that, "Our foreign students are also following their classes like their Turkish friends via TRT-EBA TV; they can also participate in online classes and reach thousands of different lesson contexts".

 

Adaptation classes were formed during the 2019-2020 academic year in order to introduce the education system to foreign students. Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk said, the Ministry has prepared "Turkish For Adaptation" distance teaching videos as part of the Project for Supporting Integration of Syrian Children to the Turkish Education System (PIKTES) in order to include foreign primary and secondary school children enrolled in the adaptation classes offering intensive Turkish lessons to the distance education process.

 

In addition to class videos, Turkish teachers and guidance counselors employed as part of PIKTES are continuously communicating with their students, stated Selçuk and went on to say, "3.547 Turkish teachers employed as a part of PIKTES reached their students via internet and telephones and informed them about alternative distance education opportunities. Guidance for all of our students and their parents are very important, too. 375 Guidance Counselors who were also employed as a part of PIKTES provide psychosocial support as well as academic and personal guidance to foreign students. Moreover, Guidance Counselors provide guidance to the parents of foreign students to support academic, personal and social development of foreign students.

 

Minister Selçuk underlined the Ministry has offered stationery and learning material aid to disadvantaged Turkish and foreign students during the distance education process. Selçuk said, "In cooperation with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry has sent stationery, story book sets made up of 10 books for foreign students and Turkish study book to 75.000 disadvantaged students in order to support distance education activities. Moreover, personal care packages including soaps, disinfectants, toothbrush and paste were sent to 4000 families during this period when hygiene is very important."

 

Stating that Turkey has become an example for the whole world with its aids to every corner of the world and successful activities during the pandemic process, Ziya Selçuk said that the Ministry has been working in an effort to respond to the needs of every single student including foreign students and reduce the negative effects of the pandemic process to a minimum.

 

Minister Ziya Selçuk added; "Various different projects for teaching Turkish to foreign families are continuing as a part of distance education activities. Within this context, we have developed a "Blended Education" model by combining distance and face to face education systems for foreign adults who are learning Turkish. Within the framework of this model, foreign adults in our country are using e-teaching for learning Turkish. Approximately 10.000 foreign adults who enrolled in Learning Management System are informed about the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and ways to protect from the pandemic via the system. Moreover, the Ministry has used other different communication channels to reach foreign parents during the pandemic process in order to give support about teaching activities that can be conducted at home."