Abdullah Yılmaz: Present-day Higher Education System in Turkey

Today the educational system of Turkey is a full-fledged structure which is analogous to the European educational system and allows the training of qualified specialists in different areas.

The educational system in Turkey:

• Preschool education (Anaokulu);
• Elementary education (İlköğretim);
• Secondary education (Ortaöğretim (Lise));
• Technical Schools (Training colleges) (Meslek Yüksekokulu (Ön Lisans));
• Universities (Higher education) (Lisans);
• Advanced degrees (Lisansüstü).

Preschool education is usually optional. It is children's education from the age of 3-5 that lasts from 1 to 3 years. Education is carried out as preparation for school.

Turkish elementary (İlköğretim) and secondary (Ortaöğretim (Lise)) education consists of a 12-year term which is divided into 3 stages: elementary schools, secondary schools and vocational schools. Elementary education (ilköğretim) takes 8 years: 4 compulsory years at elementary school and 4 years at secondary school or “Imam Hatib school” (schools with a focus on Islamic studies). Elementary education is intended for pupils from 6 to 14.

Whereas secondary education lasts 4 (+1) study years, some educational institutions have one preliminary year for studying English or fundamental subjects. Secondary education can be received at general education schools or at educational institutions with professional or technical specialization...