The protocol between the Ministry of National Education and the Turkish Airways (THY) was signed by the Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer and Chairman of the Turkish Airlines Board and the Executive Committee Ahmet Bolat.

 

Minister Özer stressed during his speech at the protocol ceremony that Türkiye reached maximum improvement in schooling rates in the last 20 years under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and education was used most productively during this period and added that, "Schooling rates in primary and secondary schools reached 100 percent and the Ministry of National Education has a giant education system including 19.1 million students and 1.2 million teachers. Our Ministry is working in an effort to establish and reinforce a system that provides the young population of Türkiye, the hope of our future, to give quality education."

 

Stressing that teachers are the driving force of the education system, Minister Özer's investments in teachers will be reflected in the quality education at schools. 

 

Özer said that the protocol signed has two dimensions. As the first step, teachers working at state schools will benefit from 20 percent reduction in local flights between November and April. Spouses and children of teachers will also benefit from tickets with reduced prices. The second step includes tickets at reduced prices for students sent abroad for post graduate programs with a scholarship program of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) according to the Law No. 1416.

 

Özer made following comments about MEB scholarship programs that go back to Abdülhamid II and systematized since 1929:

 

"It is a successful program for improving the quality of human resources, especially in higher education. Actually, it is very important as it indicates that Atatürk has given importance to higher education. Atatürk has sent personal letters to each scholarship program student studying abroad and made them feel important. Until 2002, 9 thousand and 540 students studied with this scholarship program. After the education campaign began in the 2000s, approximately 11 thousand and 749 students, in other words, more students sent abroad between 1929 and 2002, studied post-graduate programs with MEB scholarship."

 

Reminding that he had a meeting with scholarship students in New York while he was visiting the US in order to attend the Transforming Education Summit organized by the United Nations, Özer said that international flight tickets was the main topic. He said that he immediately called the Chairman of THY board from the Turkish House in New York and asked for his assistance.  

 

Özer went on to say that: "Currently, there are 4 thousand students in approximately 51 countries with the scholarship provided as a part of Law No. 1416. These students and their families will have a 25 percent reduction in local and international flights and they will have 40 kg baggage fee support. I would like to thank the THY family for their support to our Ministry."