Right after the earthquake which is centered in Kahramanmaraş, the Ministry of National Education continues its support activities for the earthquake victims in quake-hit provinces.

 

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer stated that as the Ministry, they started working from day one to lend a hand to the disaster victims. Stating that the Ministry's search and rescue unit MEB AKUB supports the search and rescue efforts in the wrecks in the region with 4 thousand 526 teachers, Özer noted that 149 school health nurses also participated in the search and rescue efforts. Stressing that 2 thousand 216 MEB AKUB personnel are in the region and participating in search and rescue efforts, Özer said that a total of 35 thousand volunteer teachers have worked in support organizations in the region so far.

 

Stating that the Ministry also provides staple food support to the citizens affected by the earthquake, Minister Özer shared that right after the earthquake, 1 million hot meals were distributed to the earthquake region from the surrounding provinces. Expressing that, approximately 2 million hot meals prepared daily in vocational high schools, teachers' houses, practice hotels and mobile kitchens operating within the Ministry, were distributed to citizens in 10 provinces in the following days, Özer said that they have delivered a total of 27 million 951 thousand hot meals to the citizens so far. He stated that, by the moment 97 mobile kitchens and 7 mobile ovens in 10 provinces in the earthquake zone serve the citizens.

 

Noting that 1 million 800 thousand breads which are produced daily in the factories established in vocational high schools six months ago was distributed to the earthquake victims in 10 provinces. Stating that 26 million 570 thousand breads have been produced and distributed to the region by vocational high schools so far, Özer said that 1 thousand lunch boxes are also distributed to the citizens.

 

An additional 28 thousand 804 stoves were produced in our vocational high schools and distributed to our earthquake victims. 632 beds, 18 thousand ponchos, scarves and caps produced in vocational high schools were shipped to the region for citizens.  

 

Noting that the vocational high schools started to produce 1 thousand 200 container classrooms equipped with solar panels, Özer said that 50 container classrooms were delivered.

 

Stating that the Ministry of National Education also provided medical and hygiene support to the earthquake region, Özer said that 1 million 750 thousand hygiene kits consisting of 4.705.795 masks, disinfectants, colognes and liquid soap produced in our vocational high schools were delivered to the region. 90 out of 240 portable toilets produced by vocational high schools affiliated to the Ministry were delivered to the region. 25 thousand medical gowns and stretcher covers produced in vocational high schools and public education centers were sent to hospitals in the earthquake zone.

 

Özer also said that 500 solar-powered charging stations were produced in vocational high schools and started to be shipped to the earthquake zone. 

 

Noting that psychosocial support activities are carried out for all students, teachers and parents, especially in the provinces directly affected by the earthquake, Minister Özer stated that they are providing psychosocial support at playing and activity tents established for children in all tent and assembly areas in 10 quake-hit provinces. Announcing that 391 tents have been set up as of now, Özer stated that they continue to work in 21 special training tents and 73 hospital classrooms. Stating that 4 thousand 267 psychosocial support kits and 1 million 159 thousand 408 information brochures on the Earthquake and Psychological Trauma were sent to the activity tents, Minister Özer stated that preschool teachers, special education teachers and 4 thousand 720 guidance teachers and psychological counselors started provide service in these tents.

 

Stating that psychological first aid activities for students, teachers and adults are carried out with the guidance teachers and psychological counselors, Özer said that they have reached 294 thousand 912 people. Özer said that the Psychological First Aid Program has been applied to 301 thousand 750 people, including students, parents, teachers and other citizens who have been placed in dormitories, hostels and hotels in other provinces in the earthquake zone. Özer noted that Psychological support services were provided to 596 thousand 622 students, teachers and adults in all provinces throughout Türkiye.

 

Stating that teacher and parent training program has started in 71 provinces within the scope of the Psychosocial Support Action Plan prepared to be implemented in the provinces outside the disaster area, Minister of National Education Özer said that 954 thousand 414 teachers and 3 million 425 thousand 502 parents have participated in these trainings so far. The Minister said that they will implement  " Earthquake psycho education program" as part of psychosocial support to preschool, primary, secondary and high school students in 71 provinces once the teacher and parent sessions are completed. Minister said that the earthquake psycho education program consists of modules on recognizing the emotions, coping with the emotions, security, instilling hope, self-esteem, social relations, and seeking help.

 

Stating that they have prepared training sets in order to meet especially the needs of students in the earthquake zone as well as the students who have been transferred to other provinces such as textbooks, supplementary resources and stationery. Özer noted that they started to deliver 7.5 million textbooks and 5.5 million supplementary resources and 130 thousand stationery sets at the first stage to students, he announced that they will have delivered all educational materials including stationary needs of the students before they start education. Emphasizing that they continue to open Support and Training Courses (DYK) for 8th and 12th grade students who want to prepare for LGS and YKS, Özer announced that they have linked the measurement and assessment centers in 71 provinces outside the earthquake zone with the measurement and assessment centers in the earthquake zone. Özer said that these centers will support the DYKs established for the preparations of LGS and YKS as well as the teachers who will be assigned there on a voluntary basis.

Minister of National Education Özer stated that hospital classes will be established in all hospitals in 10 provinces until March 1. Noting that 73 hospital classes have been opened so far, Özer stressed that besides the students who continue their treatment, the children of healthcare staff will also receive education in these classes.

Stating that the preschool education, primary and secondary school tents were set up Minister Özer noted that with the understanding of 'continuing education under all conditions' in the earthquake area, they have opened 'Mehmetçik Schools' in tent and container cities in 10 provinces in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense.

 

Stating that they have started to create container classrooms in container cities, Özer announced that they will build prefabricated schools there and open them in all container cities as soon as possible.