PodcastTurkish child dies when trying to access internet for remote education
An 8-year-old child has died after falling from the roof when trying to access internet to attend remote education in Istanbul. Çınar Mert from Istanbul's Esenyurt district was having problems in securing an internet connection necessary to attend classes when his father went up to the roof to solve the problem. The child followed his father and fell when his foot slipped. "How is education free and equal for all?" his father asked.
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An 8-year-old child has died after falling from the roof when trying to access internet to attend remote education in Istanbul, proving once again the problems in the country's distance education system.
Çınar Mert from Istanbul's Esenyurt district was having problems in securing an internet connection necessary to attend classes when his father Önder Mert went up to the roof to solve the problem.
The child then followed his father up to the roof and fell when his foot slipped.
Since beginning of the pandemic and Turkey's switch to remote education, unions, human rights groups and critics have been pointing to the inequalities between children in accessing education. They stem from the lack of an internet access and necessary devices.
The lack of devices mainly stem from Turkeys tumbling lira, which led to the prices of electronics going strikingly high.
Last week, a teacher died after climbing up a hill when trying to access internet to be able to attend his class.
Aziz Serin, 50, died in the southern province of Maraş due to a heart attack.
Six million students in Turkey 'lack access to remote education'Speaking about his son's death, Önder Mert said that he bought a computer for his son via limiting his spending in all areas of life.
"Nothing can bring my son back. How is education free and equal for all? They ruined it," Mert told daily Evrensel on Oct. 5.
He also said that there have been infrastructural problems in the internet and slammed the fact that the state doesn't provide free internet access.
Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) head Feray Aytekin Aydoğan, meanwhile, said that the problems have been ongoing since the start of the pandemic and all of them could've been solved.
"The budget could have been used for students," she said, adding that the lack of internet access must be urgently solved.
"The internet should be unlimited and free. The Education Minister doesn't act on it even though he is aware of these problems," Aydoğan added.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Ali Şeker also commented on the issue, criticizing high internet prices.
"If the state had provided internet for all students, this death could have been prevented," Şeker said.
Students in eastern Turkey walk miles to access internet necessary to attend remote education