Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood

Volume 11 Number 2 2010

www.wwwords.co.uk/CIEC

COLLOQUIUM

Early Childhood Education:

the case of Turkey

HAKAN USAKLI
Sinop University, Turkey

ABSTRACT It is now widely recognized that early childhood education has paramount significance for
the well-being of societies. In this study, the current situation of early childhood education in Turkey is
discussed mainly in terms of its perception by the government, the school enrollment rate and the
quality of early childhood education programs. The study attempts to evaluate the case of Turkey
compared to those of several other developed countries. It is believed that this brief snapshot
considerably demonstrates that Turkey lags behind several countries not only in terms of quantity but
also with respect to the quality in early childhood education; however, it has at least recognized the
worth of early childhood education.

The US National Association for the Education of Young Children defines early childhood
education as teaching children from birth to age 8 (1987, as cited in Brewer, 2001). However, in
Turkey early childhood education refers to the optional education of children who are 36-72
months old in formal institutions before they reach the age of compulsory schooling (The Principle
Law of National Education, 1973).
It is obvious that Turkish early childhood education needs to be examined in its unique
context for the reason that it still finds acceptance as an optional but not essential part of education
by the government and that the number of children attending early childhood education is far
lower than expected. To illustrate, by 2007, the schooling rate was 22.36% among children ages
36-72 months, while it was 34.42% among children ages 60-72 months (EURYDICE, 2006-07).
Taking into consideration the early childhood education enrollment rate in the United States,
which was 96% by the 1970s, and more than 90% in several European countries such as Belgium,
France, Italy, Spain, Holland, England and Luxemburg, the contemporary situation of pre-primary
education in Turkey becomes even more questionable and worrying (US Census Bureau, 2000;
Arslan, 2005).
Although the roots of early childhood education go back to the 1800s, to the time of
Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Frobel in Europe (Wortham, 2006), early childhood education is more of
an emerging field for Turkey. Oktay (2004) cites that there had not been an increase in the number
of early childhood education institutions during the establishment of the Republic of Turkey owing
to the fact that the conditions of those times required priority to be given to primary education and
even resulted in the closure of established preschools in 1925 and 1930. However, eventually, the
establishment of a General Directorate for Pre-primary Education and the Law no. 3797 in 1992
seemed to be a significant milestone in the history of early childhood education in Turkey. It was a
sign that early childhood education was being recognized as significant, and laid the foundations for
early childhood education policies.

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Hasan Usakli

Despite these deficiencies, it is both fortunate and promising that people in general have
begun to recognize the fact that 7 is too late to educate young children. The changing image of
children from miniature adults in the past to unique individuals who need special care in the
present day has made remarkable contributions to the development of early childhood education
around the world. That children are not only physically smaller, but also less mature, being socially
and cognitively in the process of development, requiring time and experience to reach their peak in
all aspects of development, as cited by Kendall (2000), explains why early childhood should be
addressed distinctly in the general education system.
Among the factors for concern about early childhood education are: 1. the possibility of
educational shortfalls for young children, such as an insufficiently varied and stimulating
environment; 2. some parents insufficiency in childrearing practices; 3. increasing demand or
desirability for working mothers and changing family roles; and 4. increasing evidence that the first
years of life are critical in developing intellectual potential (Bernard, 1973).
Moreover, research-based knowledge has revealed that the 3-year-old childs brain is twice as
active as the adults brain (Shore, 1997, cited in Nielsen, 2006). In his classic experiment,
M.R. Rosenzweig (1984, as cited in Morris & Maisto, 2005) also reveals the necessity of a
stimulating environment in the early years of life, as rats raised in enriched environments had
larger neurons with more synaptic connections than those raised in impoverished environments.
Research on the brain, furthermore, demonstrates that infants are born with approximately 100
billion brain cells, most of which are not connected yet. Therefore, it can be concluded that
childrens brain structure, hence their future lives, can be affected either positively or negatively by
environmental factors. These results provide evidence that children undergo a series of changes
soon after birth, hence it is more appropriate to start education in the early years as soon as
possible.
Early childhood education then may have a key responsibility for establishing a nurturing and
stimulating environment equipped with a variety of materials and opportunities for exploration,
manipulation, and social interaction. It can be a primary means of creating a context for children to
learn at their best with the help of trained teachers who have knowledge of teaching young
children. It is believed that early childhood education is a kind of vaccine that provides support and
inoculation to strengthen the children against more challenging tasks they are likely to come across
at later stages of development and growth.
Therefore, it would not be fair to make such an influential environment accessible to only a
limited number of children as it is currently the case in Turkey. Every child should have the right to
participate in early childhood education programs provided that they are of high quality. Two
projects from the United States, namely Head Start and Perry Preschool, illustrate how early
childhood education can make a difference in the development of children.
Head Start, with the goal of providing the advantage of high-quality early childhood
education to children from low-income families, has a dramatic effect not only in later school
achievement, but also on the families (Essa, 2003). Similarly, the Perry School Project, by taking a
long-range look at children from low-income families, has resulted in children being successful
throughout their school years, staying in school until graduation, staying out of trouble with the
law and becoming productive citizens. As a conclusion, these projects proved that money spent on
education for young children seemed to pay off in the form of adults who would contribute to the
well-being of society (Nielsen, 2006).
Nevertheless, it is a fact that not all types of early childhood education programs are of benefit
to children. Schultz & Lopez (1995, as cited in Eliason & Jenkins, 2003) propose that the system of
educating young children is failing primarily due to low-quality programs, funding crises and staff
problems caused by low wages. They claim that most early childhood education programs are
unable to offer high-quality education that would maximize young childrens development and
learning. To reach the standards of high-quality early childhood education, it is imperative to define
guidelines for teaching young children. How to teach, what to teach, when and where to teach
should be the main concerns to be answered in order to achieve the general aims of early
childhood education.
To determine quality in early childhood education is very challenging. As Katz (1994, as cited
in Eliason & Jenkins, 2003) points out, it is hard to assess quality in early childhood education

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programs since the goals are by necessity less specific and the evaluation of quality cannot be
determined by standardized achievement tests as they are not developmentally appropriate for
children under 6 years old. However, the situation seems to be far worse for Turkey.
It is unfortunate that we do not even have guidelines describing the criteria for assessing
quality in early childhood education, such as the booklet developed by Sylva et al (2003), Assessing
Quality in the Early Years: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. For instance, this booklet assesses
the quality of the environment in terms of science by the availability of a wide range of natural
materials for children such as plants, collections of pebbles, pinecones, shells, leaves, fruit,
vegetables; live animals such as fish, hamsters, stick insects, snails; sand and water and their use for
the learning of science. In addition, the availability of science equipment, reference materials
(books, charts, and photographs), and a large and stimulating science area are assessed. The
engagement of children in scientific processes, i.e. close observation, raising questions/making
guesses (hypothesizing), experimenting, communicating and interpreting results are, furthermore,
assessed through the scientific experiences that the children are involved in (Sylva et al, 2003). If
these standards were applied to early childhood education settings in Turkey, it is thought that a
number of schools, public or private, would be placed on the lowest continuum of the scale,
labeled inadequate.
In addition to the booklet by Sylva et al (2003), the quality of early childhood education can
be defined by examining the child-adult ratio, class size, mixed-age grouping, developmental
appropriateness of the program, child-adult interaction, staff qualifications, staff consistency,
respect and concern for staff, physical environment, and family involvement (Essa, 2003). Here,
three factors will be discussed with regard to their effect on quality in Turkey: class size, staff
qualifications, and respect and concern for staff.
In the majority of schools in Turkey, teachers have to deal with crowded class sizes leading to
low levels of teacher-child interaction. In particular, the recent attempt by the Ministry of National
Education to increase the school buildings and attendance rate without proportionately improving
the physical environment, seems to impede quality in the name of improving quantity. In addition,
inconsistencies in terms of teachers qualifications are due to the fact that not all early childhood
teachers have a university degree but some are also graduates from the open university (Anadolu
University in Eskisehir Open Education Faculty, students of whicho do not have to attend class:
they can follow lectures via television and books) and girls graduated from vocational high school
(lyce) as early childhood teachers put forward inconsistencies with respect to teacher qualifications
and knowledge in the field. Moreover, although working with young children is a demanding job
requiring professional expertise and skills, early childhood teachers are usually viewed as baby
sitters or care givers in society rather than professionals with a sound educational background.
As a curriculum development, there are simple but encouraging studies which have been
conducting by researchers. As Usakli (2007), stated that not only teachers but also parents have
been chancing their ideas on recognizing students. There are new strategies for teachers and
parents to appraise of students such as drama. Children are even concerned with contemporary
issues such as environmental pollution, hunger, wars, global warming, nuclear plant, and
globalization. This is also difficult for counselors to counsel students about these issues. We should
educate our siblings wisely. Early childhood education is the high time to make childrens mind
clear.
In brief, early childhood education provides societies with a magical tool to make a difference
in the lives of young children. However, it is urgent to question our knowledge and applications in
the name of early childhood education since early childhood portrays a totally different picture
from other education grades with a target group unique in terms of developmental characteristics
and learning styles. Being the most critical step in human development, early years education
without doubt deserves more attention from politicians, academic staff and teachers, as well as
families. In-depth investigation is needed so that Turkey can have in place a fully functioning early
childhood education system, with higher quality programs and suitably trained teachers,
appropriate learning environments and experiences, and, of course, a well-established system
which brings together all these elements in harmony. This becomes more crucial for countries like
Turkey which have just discovered the treasure of early childhood education, as a tool for

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becoming a developed country. Being at the early stages, it is hoped that Turkey will move further
in terms of both quantity and quality with respect to early childhood education.

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HAKAN USAKLI is an assistant professor in the Education Faculty of Sinop University, Turkey.
He has been teaching Educational Psychology, Counseling and Drama for ten years. His research
interests are early childhood education, special education, elementary school guidance,
multicultural education and lifelong learning. Correspondence: Dr Hakan Usakli, Egitim Fakultesi,
Sinop Universitesi, TR-57000 Sinop, Turkey (hakanusakli@yahoo.com).

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