The opening of the new academic year was delayed to starting on Monday due to the Eid-ul-Adha holiday. Almost 18 million students and 900,000 teachers started the first day of the academic year this morning in 600,000 classrooms across Turkey. It should be noted, too, that the roads will certainly be more crowded with the extra service buses transporting the students to and for the schools.
1.2 million six-year-olds have been going to preschool this year, experiencing their first encounter with school, while more than 1. 1 million seven-year old children have been attending primary school. Also, the first week's program will be consist of orientation classes for children going to preschool, primary school or secondary school for the first time.
Education Minister Nabi Avcı issued a statement saying that led all the students, teachers and parents enjoy for their new education term. “We are bearing a tremendous responsibility which is preparing our children for the future," Avcı stated.
Furthermore, the number of Syrian refugee children attending schools across Turkey and the classrooms for them have increased, as it is nearly impossible for Syrian students to continue their education in Syria. The number of Syrian students reached to 370,000, of which 299,000 of them have been receiving education in camp education centers in the new academic year.
Meanwhile, with the completion of the first semester of the 2015-16 school year, almost 18 million elementary, middle and high school students will receive their report cards on Jan. 25 and the two-week midterm holiday will end on Feb. 5, according to Ministry of Education.
