As debates continue following the attacks targeting schools in Siverek (Sêwêreg) and Maraş (Mereş), in which nine students and one teacher lost their lives and dozens were injured, Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) Central Women’s Secretary Simge Yardım emphasized that what happened was not an isolated incident, but the result of education policies implemented over many years.
Simge Yardım stated that “it was actually very clear that such incidents would occur,” adding that the political authorities have long ignored or indirectly legitimized the conditions that produce violence. She noted that education has always been used as an ideological tool by governments, and that in recent years the Ministry of National Education has used this tool extensively. She emphasized that curriculum changes, signed protocols, vocational practices, and violations of the right to education have collectively created a situation in which children no longer feel valued within the education system.
Simge Yardım said that society is searching for an answer to the question, “How did we come to this point?” and stressed that the events cannot be explained merely as a security failure, but rather point to a deep systemic crisis. She stated that this tragedy did not emerge suddenly, but that policies implemented over a long period have gradually prepared the ground for violence.
Violence grows where identities are denied
Simge Yardım stated that violence in schools is not limited to physical attacks, but that there is an underlying rejection of cultural and identity-based differences. She said that children’s identities, cultures, and languages are being denied, and that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is not recognized, adding that this situation is not incidental but the result of accumulated policies.
She also drew attention to the growing sense of hopelessness among young people and the increase in suicide cases, stating that assimilation policies and the dead-end conditions imposed on children are deepening this process. Yardım said: “We must question the system that turns a child into a killer, and we must build democracy in order to change it.”
Guidance system has collapsed
Simge Yardım stated that one of the main reasons why the massacres could not be prevented is the inadequacy of guidance and psychological counseling services, noting that the current system contains serious deficiencies. She emphasized that having one guidance counselor for every 500 students is not sustainable under current conditions and said that these services must be strengthened both quantitatively and qualitatively.
She stated that every child must have effective access to psychological support services and added that the shortage of teachers further deepens these problems. Yardım underlined that the current system is far from resolving existing issues.
Deep anxiety and trauma in Siverek and Maraş
Simge Yardım stated that she had conducted observations in the regions where the attacks took place and said that a serious sense of insecurity has emerged among students and the public, particularly in Siverek. She stressed that this situation must be addressed as a trauma and that social support mechanisms for students should be activated not only in these two areas but across all regions.
Yardım said that psychosocial support services, similar to those implemented in disaster situations, must be rapidly put into effect for such incidents as well, and emphasized that urgent steps are needed to reduce anxiety levels in schools.
Simge Yardım stressed that it is not possible to overcome this dark situation through policing measures, stating that the solution lies in building a democratic, egalitarian, and libertarian education system based on children’s rights.
Leave a Reply