The 8th Chamber of the Council of State ruled on Wednesday to retain a university admission system that makes it more difficult for graduates of vocational schools to enroll in a program of their choice. The ruling sent shockwaves across the country, with many observers lashing out at the council for violating the principle of equal opportunity in education.
“The coefficient inequality must be abolished. It is neither fair nor scientific. As academics, we have long argued that the coefficient system obstructs education. Brilliant students cannot attend universities they want because of this system,” stated Professor Şükrü Koç, chairman of the Association of Turkish Academics.
In July, the Higher Education Board's (YÖK) General Council decided to abolish the coefficient system, a move welcomed at the time by many who interpreted it as a groundbreaking step to end long-standing discrimination imposed on vocational school graduates, including those from religious imam-hatip high schools.
The lower coefficient was a byproduct of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup, which led to the collapse of an Islamic-rooted government, and was introduced in an attempt to keep students from religious imam-hatip schools -- classified as vocational schools -- out of universities. The system has been the subject of strong criticism in Turkey as it is considered unfair toward graduates of vocational high schools who want to study at universities.
Coefficient ruling condemned in rallies across nation A large number of nongovernmental organizations held rallies across Turkey to protest against a recent ruling by the Council of State to overturn the abolishment of the coefficient system for graduates of vocational schools. The system makes it more difficult for vocational school graduates to enroll in a university program of their choice. The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER), the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) and the Free Education Union convened in the Turkish capital to denounce the Council of State ruling. The rally was attended by a large number of high school students. The group argued that the council overstepped its authority and assumed the role of the Higher Education Board (YÖK) with its decision. “The decision is not lawful. It is ideological,” shouted the group. A group of students at a religious imam-hatip high school held a demonstration in the central province of Konya. “We have a new obstacle before us. You did not rule for a stay on the coefficient system. You ruled for a stay on our lives,” said the group. A major rally was organized in İstanbul by the Freedom Association (Özgür-Der), attended by a large number of participants. The association argued that the state bureaucracy knows no bounds when it comes to the hatred of Islam. “Keeping silent in the face of the seizure of rights of thousands of young people is tantamount to complying with unlawful activities committed by judicial bodies. We will never bow to unlawfulness,” the association said. İstanbul Today’s Zaman |
The head of the Association of Jurists, Kamil Uğur Yaralı, said the Council of State ruling was against the principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution. Yaralı warned that millions of students would suffer from the consequences.
There was a boost in the number of students who enrolled in vocational high schools after YÖK’s landmark decision on the abolishment of the coefficient system. Students were hopeful that they would finally get the chance to attend university departments they wished. However, the Council of State decision is set to disappoint them. “I enrolled in a dershane [a weekend or evening school specializing in preparing students for national exams] after YÖK’s decision. We attended 11 hours of courses at school in a day. I attend a dershane every weekend. This is a heavy load, but I was OK with it because I dreamt of attending a university. What will I do now?” asked Sıdal Utkucu, a student at the Aydın Doğan Vocational High School.
The Council of State ruling came four months after the İstanbul Bar Association appealed to the council against the YÖK decision on the coefficient system. The bar stressed in its lawsuit that YÖK’s move would be unjust toward students who graduate from high schools other than vocational high schools, Anatolian high schools and science schools. “This move will provide ‘undeserved’ gains for a certain group of students,” the bar claimed. The bar appealed against the decision after the honorary president of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Sabih Kanadoğlu, advised publicly that the Council of State would settle the coefficient trouble.
‘Why do jurists violate the Constitution?’
Ahmet Gündoğdu, head of the Education Personnel Labor Union (Eğitim Bir-Sen), argued that the Council of State violated the Constitution with its ruling because it is against the Constitution’s principle of equal opportunity for all citizens. “If this principle is to be violated, then why is it included in the Constitution? Why do jurists violate the Constitution? This is a ruling aimed at hindering a brilliant future for Turkey. The council has received another bad mark on universal law. … The Feb. 28 mindset is continuing. Turkey will, however, manage to overcome the reactionary mindset of those jurists,” Gündoğdu remarked.
According to Ekrem Pakdemirli, a former economy minister, the Council of State cannot have a say in the country’s education system. “The council cannot comment on YÖK’s decision. The council’s ruling is a judicial flaw. The ruling means that the council has undertaken YÖK’s role. This is not possible. It is in the hands of YÖK to decide on the coefficient system,” he added.
Reşat Petek, a former prosecutor, said the Council of State issued an “ideological” decision on the coefficient system. “The council contradicted itself with its new decision. Such a decision cannot be explained or justified with the Constitution or laws in effect,” Petek remarked.
In August, the council ruled that it cannot interfere in YÖK’s authority in the face of an appeal for the abolishment of the coefficient system by a lawyer. The lawyer, İbrahim Serdaroğlu, had appealed to the council in May 2008 to abolish the coefficient system. The council, however, said it is within YÖK’s authority to decide on the coefficient issue.
The Council of State also drew the ire of businessmen in Turkey, who said the decision is aimed at damaging the country’s industrialization. “This is the greatest blow to Turkey’s development. This hurts industrialization. We are ruining our youth,” lamented Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Nurettin Özdebir. Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) head Ünal Yarımağan focused on a different challenge the Council of State decision brought with it. “The ruling has caused total ambiguity for us. They should make clear how this year’s Student Selection Examination [ÖSS] will be held before Dec. 20. Otherwise, we will face a delay in the examination calendar,” he warned.
Benzer Haberler 
National
