Delayed school rebuilding in İzmir after 2020 earthquake sparks concerns

Cihan Başakçıoğlu / Gazete Duvar

A major earthquake in western Turkey’s İzmir province on Oct. 30, 2020, caused extensive damage to schools across the city. Many damaged schools were demolished for reconstruction, forcing their students to attend classes in other school buildings. However, more than four years later, progress on rebuilding many of these schools has stalled.

The İzmir branches of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) conducted a study on the unfinished schools.

According to their findings, 15 incomplete schools are in the Konak, 11 in Karabağlar, 10 in Buca, and 10 in Bornova districts. Many primary and secondary school students have been adversely affected by overcrowded dual or even triple-shift education systems.

Eğitim Sen Branch President Nafiz Ceylan criticized the lack of progress in conversation with Gazete Duvar. “After the earthquake, there are schools in İzmir that were demolished but still remain unbuilt, and schools that were marked for demolition but have yet to be torn down this year,” Ceylan said. 

“We face a situation where insufficient budgets and years-long construction delays are the norm. Multiple schools are crammed into single buildings, and while official figures remain unclear, it is estimated that nearly 300 schools in İzmir have been slated for demolition, with many already destroyed”.

He emphasized that despite four years having passed since the earthquake, the schools remain incomplete, and the issue was a lack of funding for rebuilding. “How hard can it be to construct a school?” asked Ceylan. 

Ceylan also highlighted the negative impact on teachers and students, pointing out that overcrowding persists in schools operating under dual or triple shifts. In dual shifts, students attend classes as early as 6 a.m. in the dark or leave school as late as 8 p.m. to accommodate three full-day schedules.  

He noted one case in the Konak district, where five schools were using the same building simultaneously.

“This situation is harming both teachers and students,” Ceylan explained. 

He added, “Students from multiple schools are attending lessons in the same building, creating overcrowded classrooms and limiting resources. These conditions, combined with a lack of infrastructure and shortened class times, are severely affecting students’ education.”

Ceylan called for urgent action, saying, “Our demand is simple: rebuild the schools that were demolished this year as soon as possible. Additionally, three teachers' housing facilities in İzmir were also destroyed. We demand their completion as well.”

(English version by Ayşenaz Toptaş)