10th of Local Information meetings of the Education for All in Times of Crisis I&II Projects executed by the Construction and Real Estate Department via the German Development Bank (KfW) with the European Facility was conducted in Gaziantep.

Mr. Özcan Duman, Head of the Ministry of National Education Construction and Real Estate Department, Mr. Cengiz METE, Gaziantep Provincial Director of National Education, Mrs. Corinno KOHL, Project Director from the German Development Bank (KfW), Mr. Halil UYUMAZ, Deputy Governor of Gaziantep, large number of local administrators and Project Implementation Unit participated in the meeting.

Mr. Özcan DUMAN got the floor to deliver his speech and started his speech by stating that millions of refugees have been provided the temporary protection status by Turkey and all kinds of vital needs of refugees have been tried to be addressed. Mr. Duman told that “Approx. 1,1 million of Syrians are school-aged and our ministry together with all other partners work for integrating the Syrian children in education system rapidly. Within this scope, we envisaged that 22 educational facilities in total will be constructed in Gaziantep. So far, 13 of these Works have been tendered out”.

Mr. Özcan DUMAN mentioned about the status of the school in his speech and told that “there are some schools whose opening meeting has been conducted and some investments whose construction works are continued. As the remaining Works are covered by the additional funds the tender Works are continued. These schools will be operation in 2019-2020 education year unless something goes wrong”.

Mr. Duman told that “we will provide an additional capacity for 15 thousand students in total with the classroom to be constructed in Gaziantep and children in this city together with the Syrian children will benefit from these schools. We do not only construct an empty physical building but also we meet all kinds of equipment of schools from the Project” and left the rostrum.

 

“Beginning from the next year, Syrian children will share with our children the same desk, classroom and school”

Mr. Cengiz METE got the floor to deliver his speech. Mr. METE started his speech that Gaziantep has undertaken very important responsibilities since the beginning of the Syrian migration which we call as crisis. Gaziantep is a very important city which has hosted about 450 thousand Syrian and provided services in various area for them. We conduct the educational practices with having no problem with 70 thousand Syrian population and solving the social adaptation issue”.

Mr. METE told that “From the beginning of the next year Syrian children will share with our children the same desk, classroom and school. It has certainly some burdens and our government has performed very important Works for it and our ministry has delivered very important services. However, I want to express that the taken measures and support by the German Development Bank and European Union especially for enhancing the physical capacity are very important”. He ended his speech that “I think that this support should be continued increasingly for providing a more sustainable service.  We are one of the provinces requiring to enhance the physical capacity. I express that we are open to every kind of support and fund”. 

 

“The work which has been undertaken by Turkey is based on the determination and support of the regions and local communities”

Mrs. Corinno KOHL, Project Director from the German Development Bank (KfW) went up to the rostrum and told that “Turkey has the highest number refugees including over 3,5 million Syrian ones and other nationalities. Turkey has made great effort to meet the needs of refugees together with the Turkish community and integrate them in society. The work which has been undertaken by Turkey is based on the determination and support of the regions and local communities.

Mrs.KOHL continued her speech that “the European Union is determined to support the high level goal and mission of Turkey to provide education for all children in Turkey. Within this context, in line with the assignment given by the European Union the German Development Bank performs the construction of the education infrastructure with a budget in the amount of 3,5 million Euro with the Ministry of National Education. 150 school will be constructed with the provided fund. Thus, approx. 100 thousand Turkish and Syrian student will be provided a safer education environment. The Project does not only aim to construct school but also ensure the integration of Syrian children in Turkish society and create environments enabling the mutual learning. We hope that a responsible, open-hearted and sincere generation will be grown up and the works today will be undertaken and continued by this generation”.

 

“One of the most important threat for all is ignorance and remedy for the ignorance is education”

Mr.Halil UYUMAZ; Deputy Governor of Gaziantep emphasized on the importance of education and told that “Education is very important but it is more important in times of crisis. As all you know, one of the most important threat for all is ignorance and remedy for this ignorance is education”.

Mr. UYMAZ mentioned about the school-aged Syrian in Gaziantep and told that “There are 70 thousand Syrian in Gaziantep. These students have not experienced ordinary events. As I have been assigned in Hatay and İstanbul before I remember most of them. Some of these children have lost either their mother or father, some have been left alone, some have been ill or mentally depressed and some do not have a family anymore. As the Government of Turkey, we embrace these children”. He conveyed that they have reached to 70 thousand students by means of works conducted in a few years. 

Mr. UYMAZ continued his speech that “We have accepted 70 thousand students, our Syrian brothers, as our own children and provided education. We are glad to do that. Let’s consider that what could happen if we have not provided education for 70 thousand students? Education is really important. It may not be witnessed almost in nowhere in the World we provided education to some of these students in the temporary education centers, the other part in the morning or afternoon depending on the school status in the same quality. Mr. UYMAZ told that “Some families do not send children to school especially at high school level in school for economic reasons. Syrian children face with the same situation. They tell that we desire work, they are trained in various occupation and develop themselves. For this purpose, registering 70 thousand of 90 thousand students is not a failure with only our effort. We have reached the percentage of almost %100 in the campsite now and we have registered all of the school-aged students in education”.

Mr. UYUMAZ underlined another point and ended his speech that “We continue to provide education in Erbab which is a security zone and central for the World. We not only provide shelter, security and health services but also education. Our fellows work very hard and I want to thank very much all of them