Turkish Education Ministry blocks opposition municipalities from cleaning schools amid hygiene crisis

Duvar English

The district directorates of the Education Ministry in Aegean İzmir’s Buca and Bornova districts has prevented the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) municipalities from providing cleaning services to the public schools amid the ongoing hygiene crisis.

Even though the school year started one month ago in Turkey, the Education Ministry’s decision to pay cleaning staff 577 Turkish liras ($17) per day caused many to quit their job in public schools.

Although the ministry announced that 30,000 new contracted employees would be hired to solve the hygiene crisis, the teachers, parents, and even the students have been trying to clean their schools. 

In Aegean İzmir’s districts, municipalities took action to find solutions to cleaning problems in schools, yet the ministry blocked their efforts, according to the reporting of the daily BirGün.

At a primary school in Bornova district, a significant cleaning issue emerged following recent renovations. Parents and students, troubled by the hygiene problem, reported the issue to the local neighborhood head. In response, the Bornova Municipality sent a cleaning crew to the school.

However, when the municipal cleaning team attempted to film their work, the school administration refused to allow it. Reports suggested that the school management sent the team away, stating, "If necessary, don't clean; let it stay dirty, but you cannot film."

İsmail Akyol, chair of a branch of teachers union Eğitim-Sen in Izmir, described the incident as an attempt to cover up the situation, stating, "This issue with the cameras is entirely about trying to hide things. There have been similar reports in the media before. The ministry is uncomfortable with this, but there is a reality here. They are trying to conceal what’s happening. The schools are not being cleaned. How long do they think they can keep this hidden?"

Akyol stated there has been a serious staff problem especially in schools located in low income neighborhoods.

“This is not something that can be postponed. When the weather gets colder, when the rains start, children will not be able to go outside, in the garden at all. There will be serious problems inside, many diseases will spread due to hygiene problems. (Hiring) 30,000 personnel is not a solution, the cleaning problem will increase in the coming days,” he noted.

Following reports in the media, CHP-led Buca Municipality also took action and initiated cleaning efforts in the schools. Mayor Görkem Duman stated that they were ready to clean all schools in the district and that the work would continue daily in schools where it was needed. 

However, shortly after, Duman announced that these efforts had been blocked by the District Directorate of National Education.

In a statement on his social media account, Duman said that the District Directorate Education had banned them from cleaning in schools. The mayor underscored that the schools that requested cleaning from the municipality were called (by the ministry) one by one to withdraw their requests.

Accordingly, the municipality teams have been turned away from the doors of the schools.

In his post, Duman said, “Unfortunately, as of today, we will not be able to carry out cleaning activities in our schools. It is not possible to understand why these attempts to create healthy conditions in education are blocked. I refer this situation to the conscience of our people.”