MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 

Amed (Diyarbakır)- Many imams, clerics, religious affairs specialists and teachers of Quran courses appointed as part of the “I am Sensitive to My Environment, I Protect My Values Project (ÇEDES)” project signed by the Turkish Education Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry and the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) give students a training called “Education of Values” at the public schools.

As part of a protocol signed by the Izmir Provincial Directorate of National Education and Izmir Provincial Mufti, imams, muezzins, clerics, religious affairs specialists and teachers of Quran courses were appointed to 842 primary, secondary and high schools in Izmir, Istanbul and Eskişehir to give students a training called “Education of Values” within the scope of the ÇEDES project.

These appointments spark anger among parents and teachers, who say that students need teachers for health education. NuJINHA spoke to Zuhal Sezer, Co-chair of Eğitim-Sen (Teachers’ Union) Amed Branch No.2 about the protocol. She told us that the main purpose of such policies is to raise a religious generation not to protect values.

 ‘The foundation of the project was laid in 2011’

Stating that they know very well that there is no need for imams in schools, Zuhal Sezer also underlined that this project is not a new project. “The foundation of the project was laid in 2011, when Turkey accepted the 4+4+4 education system as compulsory. The aim of this project is to pave the way for people who graduated from Imam Hatip high schools to work as spiritual counselors at schools.”

‘Budget is allocated to imams instead of teachers waiting for appointment’

Zuhal Sezer thinks students need psychologists, school counselors and teachers for health education, not imams. “The aim is to make psychologists and school counselors unqualified and fill this gap with spiritual counselors. This is a complete violation of rights. There are thousands of teachers waiting to be appointed now. However, the budget is allocated to imams instead of teachers.”

Zuhal Sezer told us that the main purpose of the government is not to protect “values”. Psychologists can teach our values, not spiritual counselors. This mentality ignores education in the mother tongue while claiming that it aims to protect values.”

 ‘They aim to raise a generation that does not question, only obeys’

“The aim of the AKP-MHP bloc is to raise a generation and society that do not question, only obey,” Zuhal Sezer said, “They know that schools and children are the most reliable way to create a society obeying them. They try to raise a religious generation by increasing the religious lessons. This system can be applied in Afghanistan, Iran or Pakistan, not in Turkey because Turkey is a republic country. They make decisions by ignoring this reality.”