Turkish education minister warns of closing private schools over skyrocketed tuitions

Turkish Education Minister Tekin has warned private schools over their skyrocketed tuition fees. Tekin said they could impose “penal and economic” sanctions on the schools, and warned of even closing them down.

Saturday February 01 2025 12:32 am

Duvar English

Turkey’s Education Minister Yusuf Tekin on Jan. 30 warned of closing down the private schools for their exorbitant tuition fee hikes.

Speaking at the Private Schools Association 23rd Annual Antalya Education Symposium held in Antalya province, Tekin said there are 12,000 private schools but “only 22 schools charge high fees” so “we need to challenge this generalization based on 22 schools.”

The private elementary, secondary, and high schools are often criticized for their 6-digit annual tuition fees.

“Within our sanctioning power, there are both penal and economic sanctions, and it goes up to closure, we will not hesitate,” Tekin warned of these schools.

He also said they were working on “the utilization of empty quotas in private schools by the public sector.”

Meanwhile, Private Schools Association head Zafer Öztürk, said, “Our costs are constantly increasing from electricity to natural gas, water to internet, but we receive no support or incentives. However, whenever private school fees are announced, a lynching campaign is launched against private schools in the print and broadcast media.”