Teachers Are Required to Wear Lab Coats, and Parent-teacher Meetings Will Be Conducted Through the School Appointment System in Türkiye

Turkey's Ministry of National Education has issued a circular to all 81 provinces ahead of the new school year, banning registration fees and unauthorized exams. The directive, signed by Minister Yusuf Tekin, was sent ahead of the school year starting Monday, September 14. The circular, titled "Operations and Procedures for the 2026-2027 Academic Year, emphasizes the implementation of the "Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli" (Turkey Century Education Model). It calls for increased security measures at schools and stronger family-school cooperation.

The theme for the new academic year will be "Maarifin Kalbinde Oyun (Play at the Heart of Education). The ministry announced the launch of a new Education Information Network (EBA) platform, with more effective use of digital education platforms and efforts to raise students' awareness of digital security. The existing policy on cell phone use in classrooms will continue.

According to the circular, no registration fees or mandatory charges will be collected from students, and permission will not be granted for trial or screening exams outside the ministry's purview. Teachers are required to wear lab coats, and parent-teacher meetings will be conducted through the School Appointment System. The directive also includes regulations on healthy nutrition, digital education, elective courses such as artificial intelligence and robotic coding, vocational training, student safety, and special education processes.