The Turkish education system includes a 12-year basic education process covering the primary and high school. In Turkey, all children are required to complete this basic training. Under Article 42 of the Republic of Turkey’s Constitution, the right to education, including expats, covers all school-age children. So, for any reason, foreign families residing in Turkey, recording their children to state schools, have the right to urge on.
In Turkey, starting from primary education and state schools, foundation schools are available in numerous private schools. Public and private schools also offer many branches among themselves, based on vocational and religious education. School starting age in Turkey is 6.5.
How to Enroll in Public Schools
In a calendar year, as of September ends, the school enrollment of all children who complete 66 months is automatically made by the Ministry of Education to the school closest to their residence address. Work permits in Turkey, except those with residence permits, expats, refugees, asylum-seekers, may apply to everyone, including those in state schools. If the nearest school’s quota to your residence is filled, another school to be determined by the Ministry of Education is registered.
Advantages of Public Schools:
- Education is free
- Each student enrolls in the nearest school to their residence.
Disadvantages of Public Schools:
- Class sizes are set at 40 people, sometimes more crowded.
- Public schools have shortage of personnel such as security or cleaning staff.
- Many public schools do not have adequate supplies or equipment such as computers, science labs, etc.
Types Of Public Schools
1) Primary – Secondary Education: Primary education consists of four years of primary school and four secondary school years. It consists of middle schools in secondary school that allow a choice between programs and imam-hatip secondary schools.
2) General High Schools: Students who could not be placed in a different school with the LGS exam at the end of eight years of primary education are registered in general high schools.
3) Anatolian High Schools: Anatolian high schools are among the most successful schools in many cities, which are successful in foreign language education and are examples of second foreign language education. Lesson hours are longer than normal high schools. Galatasaray High School, Kadıköy Anatolian High School, Istanbul High School, Atatürk High School are examples of the most successful Anatolian high schools.
4) Science High Schools: In general, schools with high scores in LGS exams. Science high schools are known as high schools that focus on science and mathematics lessons and train students for engineering faculties.
5) Fine Arts High Schools: Fine Arts High Schools are schools where children with an interest in arts and special talent are selected and educated by a special skill exam.
6) Vocational High Schools: Vocational high schools are technical schools that train students for Vocational High Schools. There are vocational high schools that provide practical training in basic vocational fields such as Technical, Health, Tourism, Hotel Management, and Maritime.
7) Imam – Hatip High Schools: The number of Imam Hatip high schools established to perform religious services, especially to train students for theology faculties, has increased in recent years. It is seen that Imam Hatip graduates prefer different professions by entering different faculties.
Private Schools
In Turkey, private schools, all the way from kindergarten to university, are available for the duration of the entire education process. Some of the private schools are branded franchise schools with branches throughout the country. For example, Koç schools have nursery classes, primary education, high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate education universe schools.
Entry Requirements for Private Schools
All Turkish citizens and foreigners can enroll in the kindergarten and primary education (up to 1st-8th grade) departments of private schools by paying the tuition fee. The score to be obtained from) will be decisive. For example, Robert College, Turkey’s most expensive and is the highest-scoring student in both high school fields.
Can Foreign Students and Expats Enroll in Private Schools
In many countries, to enroll in public schools, residence permits, and work permit conditions, such as when searching, Turkey has no restrictions. International students or expats who will enroll in primary education for the first time are registered directly. For foreign or expat children who want to enroll in intermediate classes, a transcript or report card is requested, indicating that they have attended the previous schools in another country.
Types of Private Schools
The distinctive feature of private schools is the language in which the classes will be taught, sometimes referred to as the medium, e.g. English medium school. To take the example of Robert College, they offer education in English. Saint Joseph offers in French, a German high school in German. As additional information, all private schools teach a second language in addition to the foreign language they teach.
Private schools are divided into high school level, science high school or Anatolian high school. Some private schools include both. Students make their high school choices according to LGS exam results. Although private schools are paid, many private schools accept students based on LGS exam results.
Advantages of Private Schools:
- Dual foreign language teaching.
- Classes of 16-24 people.
- School security, nurses and cleaning staff.
- Computer classroom, Laboratory, equipment
- Lessons like robotic coding.
- Facilities such as basketball hall, swimming pool, library.
- Education without language problems for Foreign and Expat Students
Disadvantages of Private Schools:
- Tuition fees are high.
- Private schools are generally far from the residence
- School bus expenses
Scholarship Opportunities in Private Schools
All of the private schools in Turkey, offers scholarships in several ways. While scholarship opportunities are limited in primary education, many private schools open scholarship exams from the 4th grade. Some private schools grant scholarships to students who are placed in the exams held within the school starting from the 4th grade. Most private schools offer scholarships to students who score high in the LGS exam at the entrance to high school. Some of the private schools offer scholarships to those who are successful in various sports branches and to gifted students in artistic branches such as music and painting.
Prices & Location of Private Schools In Turkey
The price range of private schools is evident. The prices of new schools or schools operating in small cities and districts range from 15-30 thousand TL per year. Average private school fees in Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara are around 30 thousand TL per year. The prices of popular schools and branded chain schools range from 40-80 thousand TL. Undoubtedly, Turkey’s most expensive private school, with 167 thousand in 2020, Robert College offers education only for the high school level.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, Private schools will implement an average of 10% price increase. In the 2020-2021 academic year, private school fees were exempted from VAT due to the pandemic. It is not yet clear whether the same exemption will be applied next year.
Turkey announced that the price for the 2020-2021 school year private schools located in various cities is as follows. The fees charged by private schools for the primary and high school parts vary. Besides, private schools operating in more than one city may have different pricing policies. For these reasons, the list below includes the lowest and highest price range requested by private schools for the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Bilfen (İstanbul – İzmir – Bursa City) 41.000 – 43.000 TL + VAT
- Istek Schools (Istanbul – Izmir – Antalya City) 32.000 – 36.000 TL + VAT
- TED College (İstanbul – İzmir – Ankara City) 42.000 – 66.000 + VAT
- TED College (Bursa – Antalya City) 32.000 – 60.000 + VAT
- Antalya College (Antalya City) 36.000 – 44.000 + VAT
- Anka Bilim College (Ankara) 36.000 – 38.000 + VAT
- ITU Development Foundation (Istanbul City) 60.000 – 62.000 + VAT
- ENKA Schools (İstanbul – Sakarya City) 67.000 – 73.000 + VAT
- Çakabey Schools (İzmir City) 44.000 – 52.000 + VAT
- Piri Reis Schools (İzmir City) 51.000 + VAT
- SAINT JOSEPH (İzmir City) 60.000 + VAT
- Koç Schools (Istanbul City) 92.000 – 108.000 + VAT
- SEV American (Izmir City) 99.000 + VAT
- Üsküdar American Academy (İstanbul City) 99.000 + VAT
- Austrian High School (İstanbul City) 58.000 VAT
- German High School (Istanbul City) 70.000 + VAT
- Italian High School (Istanbul City) 49.000 + VAT
- Robert College (İstanbul City) 167.000 + VAT
