Reconsidering the Fundamental Problems of Vocational Education and Training in Turkey and Proposed Solutions for Restructuring

This study addresses the problems related to vocational education and training (VET) in Turkey through the perspective of global developments in VET and evaluates the steps that are taken in line with the solutions. From this perspective, increasing the private sector’s role and share in VET, strengthening the general skills that support long-term VET graduate employment and that renounce specific specializations, and restructuring the capacity of VET to have a more realistic supply-and-demand relationship are suggested. Additionally, the indirect effect of primary education has been demonstrated, and decreasing the differences in academic achievement in primary education level has been emphasized as being able to lead to an increase in the number of students in VET with higher levels of academic and general skills.

___

  • Abusland, T. (2014). Early leaving from vocational education and training: United Kingdom. UK: UK NARIC, ECCTIS.
  • Acemoğlu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2018). Artificial intelligence, automation and work (NBER Working Paper 24196). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
  • Aktaşlı, İ., & Tüzün, I. (2012). Mesleki ve teknik eğitimde kalite strateji belgesi [Quality strategy certificate in vocational and technical education]. İstanbul, Turkey: Eğitim Reformu Girişimi.
  • Aktaşlı, İ., Kafadar, S., & Tüzün, I. (2012). Meslek eğitiminde kalite için işbirliği: Meslekî ve teknik eğitimde güncellenmiş durum analizi [Collaboration for quality in vocational education: Updated situation analysis in vocational and technical education]. İstanbul, Turkey: Eğitim Reformu Girişimi.
  • Atmaca, T. (2018). Eğitimde eşitlik yanılsaması: Türkiye’de eğitimde eşitsizliklerin yeniden üretimi [Illusion of equality in education: Reproduction of inequalities in education in Turkey]. In L. Sunar (Ed.), Türkiye’de toplumsal tabakalaşma ve eşitsizlik [Social stratification and inequality in Turkey] (pp. 215–254). Ankara, Turkey: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  • Bennel, P., & Segerstrom, J. (1998). Vocational education and training in developing countries: Has the World Bank got it right? International Journal of Educational Development, 18(4), 271–287.
  • Bertocchi, G., & Spagat, M. (2004). The evolution of modern educational systems: Technical vs. general education, distributional conflict, and growth. Journal of Development Economics, 73, 559–582.
  • Çelik, Z., Boz, N., Arkan, Z., & Toklucu, D. K. (2017). TEOG yerleştirme sistemi: Güçlükler ve öneriler [TEOG placement system: Difficulties and suggestions]. Ankara, Turkey: Siyaset, Ekonomi ve Toplum Araştırmaları Vakfı.
  • Çelik, Z., Yurdakul, S., Bozgeyikli, H., & Gümüş, S. (2017). Eğitime bakış 2017: İzleme ve değerlendirme raporu [Education overview 2017: Monitoring and evaluation report]. Ankara, Turkey: Eğitim Bir-Sen Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi.
  • Chong, T. (2014). Vocational education in Singapore: Meritocracy and hidden narratives. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 35(5), 637–648.
  • Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The Flat World and education: How America’s commitment to future equity will determine our future. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1963). I. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [I. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1967). II. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [II. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1972). III. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [III. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1979). IV. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [IV. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1985). V. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [V. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1989). VI. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [VI. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (1996). VII. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [VII. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (2001). VIII. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [VIII. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (2007). IX. Beş yıllık kalkınma planı [IX. Five-year development plan]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training. (2015). Actions to reduce early leaving in vocational education and training (Policy Brief). Retrieved from https://www.eqavet. eu/Eqavet2017/media/Documents/EQAVET-Policy-Brief-on-PLA-on-Actions-to-reduce-earlyleaving-in-VET.pdf
  • European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. (2018). The changing nature and role of vocational education and training in Europe. Vol. 3: the responsiveness of European VET systems to external change (1995-2015) (Cedefop Research Paper, No 67). Luxemburg: Author.
  • Flora, P. (1983). State, economy, and society in Western Europe 1815-1975. A data handbook. The growth of mass democracies and welfare states. Chicago, IL: St. James Press.
  • Günay, D., & Özer, M. (2014). Türkiye’de meslek yüksekokulları, mevcut durum, sorunlar ve çözüm önerileri [Vocational schools in Turkey, the current situation, problems and solutions]. Ankara, Turkey: Yükseköğretim Kurulu.
  • Günay, D., & Özer, M. (2016). Türkiye’de meslek yüksekokullarının 2000’li yıllardaki gelişimi ve mevcut zorluklar [The development of Turkish post-secondary vocational colleges in the 2000’s and the current challenges]. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 6(1), 1–12.
  • Gür, B. S., Özoğlu, M., Akgeyik, T., Çetinkaya, E., Karagöl, E. T., Öztürk, M. … Çelik, Z. (2012). Türkiye’nin insan kaynağının belirlenmesi [Determination of Turkey’s human resources]. Ankara, Turkey: Siyaset, Ekonomi ve Toplum Araştırmaları Vakfı.
  • Hanushek, E. A. (2012). Dual education: Europe’s secret recipe? CESifo Forum, 13(3), 29–34.
  • Hanushek, E. A., Schwerdt, G., Woessman, L., Zhang, L. (2017). General education, vocational education, and labor-market outcomes over the life-cycle. The Journal of Human Resources, 52(1), 48–87.
  • Hanushek, E. A., Woessman, L., & Zhang, L. (2011). General education, vocational education, and labor-market outcomes over the life-cycle (NBER Working Paper 17504). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
  • Hippach-Schneider, U., Krause, M., Woll, C. (2007). Vocational education and training in Germany: Short description (CEDEFOP Panorama Series: 138). Retrieved from https://www. cedefop.europa.eu/files/5173_en.pdf
  • Ministry of National Education. (2016). PISA 2015 ulusal raporu [PISA 2015 national report]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Ministry of National Education. (2018a). Güçlü yarınlar için 2023 eğitim vizyonu [2023 education vision for strong tomorrows]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Ministry of National Education. (2018b). Eğitim analiz ve değerlendirme raporları serisi No: 1. Türkiye’de mesleki ve teknik eğitimin görünümü [Education analysis and evaluation report series No. 1. In view of the vocational and technical education in Turkey]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Ministry of National Education. (2018c). Eğitim analiz ve değerlendirme raporları serisi No: 2. Mesleki ve teknik ortaöğretimde kurumsal dış değerlendirme raporu [Education analysis and evaluation report series No. 2. Institutional external evaluation report in vocational and technical secondary education]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Ministry of National Education. (2019a). Eğitim analiz ve değerlendirme raporları serisi No: 6. Organize sanayi bölgelerinde mesleki ve teknik eğitim [Education analysis and evaluation report series No. 6. Vocational and technical training in organized industrial zones]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Ministry of National Education. (2019b). Eğitim analiz ve değerlendirme raporları serisi No: 8. 2019 Liselere Geçiş Sistemi (LGS) kapsamında ilk yerleştirme sonuçları [Education analysis and evaluation report series No. 8. 2019 first placement results within the scope of high school transition system (LGS)]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Oral, I. (2012). Mesleki eğitimde ne çalışıyor, neden çalışıyor: Okul işletme iş birliklerine dair politika önerileri [What works and why does it work in vocational education: Policy recommendations for school business partnerships]. İstanbul, Turkey: Eğitim Reformu Girişimi.
  • Özer, M. (2018). 2023 eğitim vizyonu ve mesleki ve teknik eğitimde yeni hedefler [The 2023 education vision and new goals in vocational and technical education]. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 8(3), 425–435.
  • Özer, M. (2019). Mesleki ve Teknik eğitimde sorunların arka planı ve Türkiye’nin 2023 Eğitim Vizyonunda Çözüme yönelik yol haritası [Background of problems in vocational education and training and its road map to solution in Turkey’s education vision 2023]. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 9(1), 1–11.
  • Özer, M., Çavuşoğlu, A., & Gür, B. S. (2011). Restorasyon ve toparlanma dönemi: Mesleki ve teknik eğitimde 2000’li yıllar [Restoration and recovery period: 2000s in vocational and technical education]. In B. S. Gür (Ed.), 2000’li Yıllar: Türkiye’de Eğitim [2000s: Education in Turkey] (pp. 163–192). İstanbul, Turkey: Meydan.
  • Perc, M., Ozer, M., & Hojnik, J. (2019). Social and juristic challenges of artificial intelligence. Palgrave Communications, 5, 61. | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0278-x
  • Pilz, M. (2017). Vocational education and training in times of economic crisis: Lessons from around the World. Manhattan, NY: Springer International Publishing.
  • Sahlberg, P. (2007). Secondary education in OECD countries: Common challenges, differing solutions. Torino, Italy: European Training Foundation.
  • Şencan, H. (2008). Türkiye’de meslekî ve teknik eğitim: Sorunlar ve öneriler [Vocational and technical education in Turkey: Problems and suggestions]. İstanbul, Turkey: Tavaslı Matbaacılık.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2010). Learning for jobs. OECD reviews of vocational education and training: Options for China. Paris, France: Author.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2014a). OECD reviews of vocational education and training: Key massages and country summaries. Paris, France: Author.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2014b). A skills beyond school review of the Netherland. Paris, France: Author.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2017). Education policy outlook: Austria. Paris, France: Author.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2018). Skills for jobs. Paris, France: Author.
  • Türk Eğitim Derneği. (1983). Türkiye’de meslek eğitimi ve sorunları. VI. Eğitim toplantısı [Vocational training and problems in Turkey. VI. Training meeting]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.
  • Vantuch, J., & Jelinkova, D. (2013). Early leaving from vocational education and training in Slovakia. Bratislava: SIOV/SNO. Retrieved from http://www.refernet.sk/images/news/files/ Early%20leaving%20from%20VET%20in%20Slovakia.pdf
  • Waltzer L., & Bire, M. (2014). Early leaving from vocational education and training: Luxembourg. Luxembourg, INFPC. Retrieved from https://cms.refernet.lu/View/Document/early-leavingschool/en
  • World Bank. (1995). Priorities and strategies for education: A World Bank sector review. Washington, DC: Education and social policy department.
  • World Bank. (2019). The changing nature of work. World development report. Washington, DC: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.