site.btaMinister Tsokov Meets with Istanbul's Education System Director Yentur

Digitalization of school education and competency-based curricula. This was the main topic of the meeting between Minister of Education and Science Galin Tsokov and Murat Mucahit Yentur, Director of the Istanbul Regional Directorate of Education. This is the largest regional education structure in Turkiye with nearly 3 million students and about 180,000 teachers. 

Every innovation in Turkiye's education system is first tested in Istanbul and then multiplied throughout the country, it became clear during the meeting. "That is why it is of interest for us to have this in-depth discussion about the reforms in the sector that our two countries are implementing," Minister Tsokov stressed.

Representatives of the Regional Directorate presented the overall change in Turkiye's curricula, which come into effect this school year. They have been developed over three years by over 700 academics and researchers and aim to prepare students for real life - with less fact-laden lessons and much more practical knowledge.

"We are working on a similar change because this is a challenge for any education system and at this stage we are in the process of developing a detailed vision of what the new curricula should look like," Tsokov said. 

The two officials commented on digitalization and the penetration of artificial intelligence in classrooms. Minister Tsokov presented the Digital Backpack of the Ministry of Education and Science and the information resources that Bulgarian schools use online, and got acquainted with the Turkish experience in this field.

Tsokov and Rector of Gedik University Ahmet Kesik discussed options for Bulgarian and Turkish researchers to partner in various projects at European and global level. The Minister presented the research universities in Bulgaria and undertook to provide additional information on the professional fields in them for discussion of possible joint projects. 

The conversation also focused on dual training in higher education as the Rector of Gedik University presented the experience of his institution in this field.