The Meaning of the Law on the Unification of Education on Its 100th Anniversary
The first academic event held in our faculty’s new conference hall was the panel titled “The Meaning of the Law on the Unification of Education on Its 100th Anniversary.” The event took place on Monday, December 9, 2024, at the Atatürk Faculty of Education, located on the Maltepe Campus of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Complex. The new conference hall hosted a significant gathering at the new campus.
The program, moderated by Research Assistant Cahide Kayış from the Department of History Education, began with a solo guitar performance by Associate Professor Dr. Melih Güzel, a faculty member from the Department of Music Education.
Following this, our Dean, Professor Dr. Seyfi Kenan, delivered a detailed speech emphasizing the historical significance of the Law on the Unification of Education for the Turkish education system. In his speech, Professor Kenan explained that prior to the Republic, the education system was fragmented and disorganized, with madrasas, rüşdiye schools, missionary schools, and foreign community schools each operating under different administrative and curricular structures. He noted that while madrasas were once scientific centers that contributed significantly to Islamic civilization—particularly between the 13th and 15th centuries, producing prominent scholars in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy—they gradually lost their relevance and connection to modern science and humanity in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Professor Kenan emphasized that the Law on the Unification of Education was introduced as a reform to eliminate this fragmented structure. He underlined that the closure of madrasas and the unification of all schools under the Ministry of National Education reflected the Republic’s aim to achieve educational unity and modernize society. With this reform, a centralized management approach was adopted in education, creating a strong foundation for raising new generations under the guidance of both secular and modern science. He concluded by stating that the law aimed to improve the quality of education by encompassing both religious and modern schools and fostering a shared understanding and common set of values among young people.
Following Professor Kenan’s address, the panel session began under the moderation of Professor Dr. Fatma Evren Daşdağ, Head of the Department of Art Education. In the panel, Professor Dr. Vahdettin Engin presented a speech titled “The Road to the Law on the Unification of Education,” discussing the historical process from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey. Professor Dr. Arzu Meryem Demirkıran then gave a presentation titled “Women’s Education,” in which she explored the global history of women’s education and the current state of women’s academic employment in Turkey in detail.
Professor Engin shared the original text of the law with the audience, analyzing its articles one by one and highlighting the importance of the law in reflecting the conditions of its time. Following his speech, Professor Demirkıran supported her talk with photographs, discussing the continuity and change in women’s education. She also provided current statistics to offer a clearer picture of the present situation.
The panel event concluded with a commemorative group photo taken with the participants.
