International Projects

As part of the Vocational Education Experts Exchange Program, 15 vocational education experts are exchanged each year. In 2000 15 vocational educators visited Germany. In 2001 13 German vocational educators shall visit our country.

International Meetings

International Seminars

International Summer Courses and Conferences

Turkey has been accepted as a candidate member of the EU unanimously in the EU Summit of State and Government Presidents held in Helsinki on December 10th-11th 1999.

The MNE personnel benefits from the Jean Monnet Scholarships provided by EU for our country in order to contribute to education and research and to help develop relations with the EU in the process of adaptation to Europe. Scholarship candidates are selected by written and oral exams. All expenses of the candidates who are awarded the scholarship are paid by the EU. The period of scholarship is one academic year.

Just like in the developed countries, education programs are perceived by the MNE as plans having content to answer the question "What? Why? When? How? How much? By which means?" in the education and teaching processes.

1. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

Projects have been conducted in our industrial vocational high schools as part of the Turkish-German Technical Cooperation targeted at providing adaptation and vocational education for the children of families who have come back to Turkey. These are:
a) A project to encourage dual vocational education in Turkey
b) The Istanbul-Haydarpaşa Anatolia Technical High School Automatic Control Division project
c) The Ankara Palatal Industrial Vocational High School CNC-Division Project
d) The Project of Turkish as a Common Language
e) The Izmir Turkish-German School Project
f) The Vocational Education Experts Exchange Program has been implemented between our country and the Republic of Germany in cooperation with the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft institution.

We have participated in the below meetings:
The 40th meeting of the European Committee held in Bonn, Germany between the dates October 7th-9th 2000, supported by the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Culture Fund and is part of "Europe at School", one of the continuous activities of the European Council;

The "History and History Education in South-eastern Europe" taskforce meeting held in Bulgaria between December 14th-15th 2000 as part of the European Council Stability Treaty;

The 69th term meeting of the Cultural Cooperation Committee of the European Council held in Salzburg, France between January 31st-February 1st 2001,
The European Year of Languages opening meeting held by the European Council, the European Community and the Swedish Government in Lund, Sweden between February 18th-19th 2001;

The European Committee meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, between March 03rd-07th 2001 as part of the Europe at School activities of the European Council;

The Jury meeting for Europe at the School Internet Award Contest held in Bonn, Germany, between May 25th-28th 2001 as part of the Europe at School activities of the European Council;

The meeting on "History and History Education in South-eastern Europe: Production of Auxiliary and Additional Course Materials for Teaching South-eastern Europe History" held by European Council in Valjevo, Yugoslavia between June 22nd-24th 2001 as part of the South-eastern Europe Stability Treaty;

The Internationally Awarded Students meeting held in Strasbourg, France between July 15th-24th 2001 as part of the Europe at School activities of the European Council.

Personnel applications to the below seminars have been presented to the related country and the European Council authorities and participation has been ensured in the below seminars:
- The National Coordinators' second seminar of the European Council Center of Modern Languages held in Manchester, England, between October 19th-21st 2000;

- The seminar on "Establishment of a Language Resources Center Design and Development of the Resources" held in Hania, Crete, Greece by the European Council Center of Living Languages in Graz, Austria, Greece Ministry of National Education and Religion, and Crete Technical University between November 1st-4th 2000;

- The seminar held by the European Commission and the European Council in Paris, France between January 26th-27th 2001 as part of the European Council, 2001 - The Year of European Languages;
- The seminar of the European Council Modern Languages Division on "European Languages' Portfolio" held in Prague, Czech Republic between February 22nd-24th 2001;
- The seminar on teacher training titled "Stability Treaty-Teaching Materials: Publication on Controversial and Sensitive Issues, Multi-perspective" held by the European Council and Macedonia in Ohrid, Macedonia between May 6th-8th 2001;
- The seminar on the "European Languages' Portfolio" held by European Council Center of Modern Languages in Coimbra, Portugal, between June 27th-30th 2001;

We have participated in the below summer courses and conferences.
- The European Council Permanent Conference of European Ministers of Education held in Cracow, Poland between October 15th-17th 2000,
- The conclusion conference held in Bonn, Germany as part of the project titled "Learning and Teaching the European History in the 20th Century" between March 22nd-24th 2001,
- The summer course on "South-eastern Europe-Jubilee of Yesterday and Today" held in Smoljan, Bulgaria as part of the European Council "2001 Year of European Languages" between July 7th-14th 2001.

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS BETWEEN TURKEY AND OTHER COUNTRIES

2. OUR STATE AS A CANDIDATE MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

The legal basis of Turkey-EU relations are the Ankara Partnership Agreement dated 1963, which suggests the total membership of Turkey as the ultimate goal and the Joint Protocol which was put into effect in 1973 and is an integral part of the partnership agreement.

2.1. WORK ON CONFORMANCE TO EU LEGISLATION

"Legislative Conformance Efforts" carried out as part of the Turkey-EU relations were targeted at the establishing conformance between Customs Union issues and EU policies and regulations. The two Prime Ministry declarations issued for that purpose define a conformance effort covering the years 1998-2000.
In order to improve Turkey-EU relations, the legislative conformance efforts stated in the above declarations also include the area of education. The work in that period was based on scanning the EU and the Ministry of National Education legislation to identify the conforming and non-conforming parts.
Since our country was declared to be a candidate for membership, such efforts have become more comprehensive and the Ministry of National Education has started detailed work. In relation to the EU and the project and union activity programs with the EU, the following committees have been established within the Ministry of National Education;
The Advisory Council consisting of top executives chaired by the Undersecretary,
The Executive Council consisting of general managers and related office chairmen chaired by the Foreign Relations General Director,
European Union Education Research and Development Committee consisting of APK, METARGEM, EARGED representatives within the Board of Education and Discipline.
A common directive has been prepared to define the duties, authorities and responsibilities of the European Community Education Research and Development Committee.
Efforts for the training of the Ministry of National Education personnel: in order to train the individuals who shall properly execute the activities with the EU both in and out of the country, EU Basic Education and Expert Education programs are implemented in the Ankara University European Union Research and Implementation Center coordinated by the State Planning Undersecretariate General Directorate of Relations with the European Union. These programs have been held since 1988 twice a year in quarterly periods. 60% of the expenses are paid by the Ministry of National Education and the remainder by the State Planning Organization.

2.1.1. EDUCATION-TEACHING AREA
In order to ensure that our education system conforms to the education system and standards of the EU countries; a European Union Desk has been established within the Ministry of National Education and this group has separately reported on each work performed in relation to the following;
European Union Education Policy,
Organization and management structure of the education systems in the EU countries,
Education systems of France, England and Republic of Germany from the EU countries and the Japanese education system because of its characteristics,
Orientation in some of the EU countries,
Transition to higher education in European Union countries,

Teacher training models in some European Union countries,
Teacher training models in Turkey.

Also, the European Union Education Research and Development Committee established in the Ministry of National Education has addressed topics such as teaching programs, weekly schedules, terms during which schools are open, compulsory education period, enrolment rates, student/ classroom rates of 15 European Union countries and efforts for adaptation of the Turkish Education System through comparative education method have started.

Below are the conclusions drawn from the initial findings related to the research on the management structures and education systems in Germany, France and England.

2.1.1.1. Teaching Programs
Although there is no formal national teaching program in Germany, the central government defines the general education policy and objectives. Detailed decisions are taken by the local education authorities. In England, teaching programs are generally developed by the local education authorities. In France teaching programs are prepared by the local commissions.

Inspectors have a very important role in these commissions. The developed teaching programs are applied nation-wide just like in our country.

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Ministry Of National Education
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