Armenian Schools in Turkey: ‘Student Enrollment Half What It Was 30 Years Ago’

Armenian schools in Turkey face significant financial, legal and logistical difficulties. Another major obstacle is the fear of reprisal for openly discussing these issues with the press. Armenian educators see discrimination against non-Muslim communities and their institutions to still be deeply ingrained in the state apparatus. Sunday's Zaman was able to visit two schools and talk to several teachers and principals, most of whom requested that their names not be printed. They explained that they feared investigation by the Ministry of Education if they consult with the media without obtaining official permission.

“We are in an odd position, as we are considered neither a private nor a state school,” said one middle school principal. Minority schools indeed occupy a murky status. Armenians, Greeks and Jews, who comprise the three “official” minorities of Turkey, are allowed to maintain their own religious and educational facilities, but with major caveats. Only Turkish citizens who have at least one parent of Armenian origin are allowed to attend Armenian schools. The status of the schools falls in a bizarre grey area that seems to maximize state intrusion and control. The state appoints the deputy principal as well as teachers of Turkish history, language, literature and geography. Their salaries are paid by the state, while the remainder of the operational costs fall on the shoulders of the parents, private donors and foundations. The schools are required to admit students regardless of their ability to pay for the costs of education, a source of continual tension and financial strain.

Nowadays there are just 16 schools and 3,000 students. All of these schools are in Istanbul, where the majority of Turkey's 60,000 Armenians lives. Student enrollment today is half of what it was 30 years ago. The situation was entirely different in the late Ottoman period, when there were nearly 2,000 Armenian schools throughout Anatolia, comprising over 170,000 students.

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Photo credit: Today's Zaman