Türkiye has taken 'historic' steps to improve quality of education: Erdogan

Türkiye offers completely free-of-charge education to children from kindergarten to university, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his address at Transforming Education Summit in New York.

Erdogan stresses that Türkiye, with its scholarship programme, offers free education in the country to thousands of students at different levels every year.
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Erdogan stresses that Türkiye, with its scholarship programme, offers free education in the country to thousands of students at different levels every year.

Türkiye has taken "historic" steps in education over the last 20 years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"Over the last 20 years, we have been taking historic steps to expand education, increase the quality of education and ensure equal opportunities," Erdogan said at the Transforming Education Summit at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.

Erdogan said the ideal of a strong society and a strong country can only be achieved by making good use of human capital and passing through a qualified education process.

Türkiye offers completely free-of-charge education to children from kindergarten to university, he added.

The president stressed that Türkiye, with its scholarship programme, offers free education in the country to thousands of students at different levels every year.

"We do not keep the children of more than 4 million refugees we host in our country separate from our own children, and we make every effort for their education," he added.

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UN chief warns education becoming 'great divider'

Speaking at the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that unequal education was quickly dividing the planet as he sought to keep development on the agenda ahead of a week of diplomacy focused on global crises.

The UN chief called a special summit on education a day before world leaders meet for the annual General Assembly, although a number of key officials including US President Joe Biden delayed their arrivals in New York due to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

"Education is in a deep crisis. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divide," Guterres told the summit.

He warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a "devastating impact" on learning, with poor students lacking technology at a particular disadvantage, and conflicts further disrupting schools.

Guterres appealed to all countries to prioritise increasing spending per student even amid question marks over the global economy.

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