Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer sent a video message on the occasion of the beginning of the professional work program set for September 1 and 9.

 

Addressing teachers and school administrators, Minister Özer expressed his excitement and happiness to start a new school year.

 

"I would like to express my happiness to start the new school year with face to face education. Our nation is aware that you worked with sacrifice for our children under extraordinary conditions," said Özer.

 

Noting that status and employee personal rights of teachers are as important as their skills and knowledge in the strength of teachers, Özer stressed that the Ministry of National Education passed regulations in order to reinforce teaching profession, increase the motivation of teachers and support their professional development. He reminded that the Teaching Profession Law which came into force on February 14, 2022 is the first independent profession law for teachers and it established a legal ground for beginning to profession and career steps.

 

Özer went on to say that: "Career steps made up of teachers, experts and head teachers aim at updating the knowledge of teachers in line with the new developments, encouraging teachers for masters and doctorate programs and supporting their employee rights. Teachers can become expert teachers after 10 years in the profession and expert teachers can become head teachers after they completed 10 years as expert teachers. Teachers have to attend 180 hours of training programs in order to become expert teachers and expert teachers have to attend 240 hours of training programs in order to become head teachers. Candidates have the right to climb career steps after an assessment concerning their training programs."

 

"Our ministry is a big family with its 1,2 million teachers," said Özer, "Naturally, the needs, expectations and interests of each teacher are different. It was clear that it would be hard to respond to the training program needs and expectations of teachers from the center. Due to this reason, we revised On the Job Training Program Regulation and adapted a new approach."

 

Within this framework, the Ministry has founded the Teacher Information Network (ÖBA) and organized training programs for teachers and administrators through this platform. The Ministry also developed school based professional development programs for the first time in its history.

 

"This new approach allowed teachers to define the training program they need and attend training programs at their own schools or through ÖBA," stated Özer.

 

"We had another approach which is named as professional development societies," said Özer and he went on to say that:

 

"These societies allowed teachers to meet with their colleagues and academicians and learn from each other. Meanwhile, the newly developed teacher-administrator mobility program allows teachers and administrators to visit other schools and disseminate good examples. Dear Teachers, you are the leaders of education. If we are able to develop teachers, society will develop accordingly. We will continue to support you and help you improve your professional skills. Teachers can attend professional development seminars organized in ÖBA between 1 and 9 September. For the first time in the history of our Ministry, we open these seminars to the teachers working in private education institutions," added Özer.