A new report by the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-İş) highlights declining education rates and increasing child labor in Turkey, based on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) and the Education Ministry.
The union pointed to a steady drop in the country’s “Expected Years of Schooling” (EYS) — the number of years a child entering school is expected to remain in the education system if current enrollment trends continue. According to their analysis, the EYS fell from 18.2 years in 2022 to 17.9 in 2023, and to 17.2 in 2024. For the 12 years of compulsory education, the EYS dropped even further, reaching 11.9 years in 2024.
In its statement, Eğitim-İş said, “While compulsory education exists on paper, in reality, children are being pushed into the cheap labor market.” The union argued that this trend represents a systemic failure to protect children’s right to education.
Official figures also show a growing number of students falling outside the education system. The number of children not enrolled in compulsory education rose from 442,000 in the 2022-2023 academic year to 612,000 in 2023-2024. Meanwhile, the number of child laborers has also increased significantly — from 619,000 in 2022 to 869,000 in 2024.
Eğitim-İş stressed that EYS does not measure actual learning outcomes or graduation rates but only estimates how long students are likely to stay enrolled. “Longer time spent in school is not necessarily a sign of achievement; it can also point to grade repetition and retention issues. The decline in this indicator shows not only that more children are leaving school but also that child labor is surging.”
The union linked the trend to worsening poverty, the economic crisis, and what it described as misguided government policies. “Children are being forced out of education due to growing poverty and deepening inequality. Their fundamental right to education is being stripped away.
“We will continue to fight for children to return to school, to prevent child labor, and to strengthen equal, secular, and public education. Education is a right. It cannot be treated as a bargaining chip.”
National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin last month signaled a possible overhaul of the compulsory education system, saying that thr current 12-year requirement may be “too long.”
Following his remarks, media reported that a draft proposal had been completed and would be presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Among the options reportedly under discussion are models that would reduce the duration of compulsory high school education, acording to reports. One proposed system would make only the first three years mandatory (the “3+1 model”), while another would lower it to just two years (the “2+2 model”).
The changes are intended to curb the shortage of mid-level skilled workers, according to reports.
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