On Monday, over 20 million students in Türkiye returned to school, ranging from the youngest preschoolers to teenage high schoolers.
The National Education Ministry said that a total of 20.4 million students and 1.2 million teachers are commencing the new school year, in a country with a total population of approximately 85 million.
This academic year will witness the induction of more than 45,000 new teachers into their roles, with a particular focus on regions that were severely affected by the devastating earthquakes in February, which claimed the lives of over 50,000 people.
Preparatory and remedial programs will be carried out for a month in certain provinces to address educational deficiencies for students in quake-hit regions.
Some students in those regions have classes in container or prefab buildings set up after the quakes
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed the start of the new school year, saying, “Today, with the school bells ringing, I embrace all our children whose longing for school ended and wish them great success.”