Turkey Rises to Top 15 in OECD Education Rankings, Minister Tekin Announces

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin visited Hakkari province on October 5-6, holding evaluation meetings with local administrators, teachers, and civil society representatives. During the visit, Tekin inspected schools in the city center and Şemdinli district, discussing infrastructure needs and the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process with residents.

Tekin stated that since 2002, the number of teachers in Hakkari has nearly tripled from 1,527 to 4,176, while student numbers rose only 3 percent to 61,000. He added that classroom and school counts have also increased nearly threefold, with investments since 2002 reaching a current cost equivalent of approximately 20 billion lira.

“Borders are drawn on maps, but borders cannot be drawn on hearts.”

Citing the OECD's September 8, 2026 'Education at a Glance' report, Tekin announced Turkey ranked 15th among 91 countries, up from outside the top 30 among 38 countries in 2003. He noted OECD officials invited the Ministry to present this progress at a Bratislava meeting.

Tekin linked the 2024 'Turkey Century Education Model' curriculum overhaul — emphasizing national values and social cohesion — to recent school violence. He claimed groups opposed to the reforms orchestrated a school attack last Ramadan and the recent fatal stabbing of a student in Istanbul's Başakşehir district to sabotage the transformation.