Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk addressed the inauguration of the online professional work program for teachers that began today and will continue until June 30. Addressing teachers during his live speech aired on EBA, Minister Selçuk underlined the importance of innovation and capturing the soul of time. Selçuk recalled that they had closed the doors of the classrooms and physically said good bye to students all of a sudden due to the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

 

Pointing out that the Ministry in cooperation with teachers showed great effort in an effort to quickly adapt to the conditions despite this unpredictable extraordinary process and started distance education via EBA and TRT television channels, Selçuk said the efforts of the teachers allowed students to continue their education during this process in the most productive and healthy way possible. He recalled that the Ministry has signed agreements with telephone and mobile application provider companies to provide internet services to families that did not have internet before the pandemic and enhanced its existing technological infrastructure adding that education journey of teachers was also valuable. "You have adapted to the process within a very short period of time. You have produced live lessons and came up with innovative solutions to the problems and became a part of the solution by developing new technological skills," said Selçuk.

 

Minister Selçuk stated that volunteer teachers worked day and night to shoot classes for students and this showed to the education community how teachers performed with great sacrifice. The pandemic process that caused distance education and put a screen between students and the teacher once more revealed the importance of adaptation, resistance and flexibility said the Minister adding that, "this process allowed us to see the importance of equipping our students and teachers with skills they might need in the future and education is a solution to many problems in life. We see how we can adapt technology to education. Some of us had problems at first but we all succeeded."

 

He said, "I have witnessed stories of teachers that I would hardly believe if I heard it from others. There were teachers who have sent their own computers to their students, teachers who have attended live classroom applications while holding their child and even one of our teachers went to the nearest police station and asked if he could use the internet as there was an electricity shortage at his home. There were teachers who transformed their rooms to classrooms, used their closets and walls as blackboards and many other stories of teachers who did not leave their students alone even under the hardest conditions. I know that if it was not for your efforts and labor, we would not be successful. I would like to thank you all for your support."

 

Expressing his gratitude to vocational schools, BİLSEM and public education centers, Selçuk said that they have made an important contribution to responding to the urgent needs of the people by starting to produce cleaning materials and surgical mask production when there was a mask shortage in the market.  Minister Selçuk emphasized that vocational schools have achieved a first by exporting their products adding that, "We have produced first face shields in BİLSEM by using 3-D printers. We have delivered 30 thousand face shields to health workers. Till now, BİLSEM has produced approximately 120 thousand face shields." Selçuk recalled that they had also produced the most needed laryngoscopy machine and cabins for hospitals in 31 cities and BİLSEM centers continue to work in an effort to produce ventilators, thermometer systems and air cleaner machines. Extraordinary effort displayed by vocational schools, BİLSEM and public education centers during this process allowed people to see once more that it is important to have skills, being a part of a solution, have production ability and education, stated Selçuk and went on to say, "One of the most important contribution of this process was returning the dignity of vocational education. From now on, the main focus of R&D centers will be production development, patent, useful model, design and brand production, registration and commercialization of our products."

 

Noting that the Ministry held distance and online training for teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister Selçuk stated that they had started the largest distance education program in the history of Turkish education in an effort to support the training of teachers. Minister Selçuk stressed that the Ministry has worked intensively in an effort to give national and international accredited certificate programs that teachers need for their individual, professional and technological development during this process adding that, "During the pandemic, 844 thousand teachers applied to distance professional development programs and received their certificates."

 

Minister Selçuk reminded that they offered the online version of training programs for teacher prepared in cooperation with universities, nongovernmental organizations and academicians and accredited by the UNESCO Turkish National Commission and fulfilled their pledge in 2023 Education Vision Document concerning offering online professional training programs for teachers and opening these programs to all teachers adding that, "During this process, we stepped up the pace of the online training infrastructure project that we had started before the pandemic and adapted it to the distance education system. We developed our infrastructure and worked in an effort to increase digital skills and capacities of our teachers and administrators. We digitalized lesson contents and produced virtual training contents and allowed our teachers to access any material they need whenever they want from anywhere they want. Be sure that your participation, suggestions and recommendations are very valuable for us."

 

Minister Selçuk stressed that education is a teamwork and expressed his gratitude to teachers by saying, "You have shown us the meaning of teamwork, how teachers can keep on teaching even if there is no classroom and how teachers still managed to grip the hands of their students. You have shown this to me, to our people and to our country."  Repeating his wish to open the doors of schools on beautiful and healthy days, Selçuk said, "The reason for making this training online is protecting your and our country's health. Please wear your masks when you go out, keep your social distance and pay attention to your health. The world and our country need you."