Many foreigners seek to know the requirements for enrollment in Turkish schools, especially those coming to Turkey for work and business. Therefore, Skyline Education will provide you with detailed information about these requirements, along with some details on the stages of compulsory education in Turkey and the types of high schools available.
We wish you a pleasant read.
What are the requirements for enrollment in Turkish schools for foreigners?
Schools at all levels are spread throughout Turkey, and you can find a school in every neighborhood of every province—whether it is a public school known for its free and high-quality education, or a private school that requires a fee upon enrollment yet matches public schools in the quality of education and curriculum.
We will outline the main enrollment requirements for foreigners in Turkish schools, which should be considered when registering a child—after they have completed their sixth year, if it is for primary school. These requirements can generally be summarized as follows:
- A temporary protection document, tourist residence permit, or student residence permit.
- Submission of a copy of the student's passport, which must be translated and certified.
- A rental contract that includes the residential address to determine the nearest school, or an electricity or gas bill.
- Submission of additional documents including certificates proving that the child has completed the previous grade at their school in their home country. In the absence of these certificates, an exam will be conducted to assess the student’s basic level.
- Placement of the student in the appropriate grade for their age; this procedure applies to students coming from countries that have experienced wars and are unable to obtain their documents, such as Syria and Yemen.
- Obtaining an equivalence certificate from the provincial educational administration after preparing the required documents and making copies of them.
- Submitting this certificate to the educational administration of the residential area, filling out the application form for schools, and selecting three schools as preferences in order of priority. The educational administration will then enter the data into the system.
- A time frame of one week to 10 days will be set to determine the school nearest to the student's address.
- The student will then go to the designated school without any documents, as their data will have already been registered there.
Also read:
Report on the Number of Foreign Students in Turkey
Difficulties of Studying in Turkey and How to Overcome Them
What are the stages of compulsory education in Turkey?
After discussing the enrollment requirements in Turkish schools, it is important to mention that compulsory public education in Turkey is divided into three stages. However, it should be noted that there is an optional, non-compulsory stage called kindergarten, where children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled. In this stage, children are prepared for the first stage, learning to be self-reliant while engaging in various beneficial recreational activities.
The stages of compulsory education in Turkey are as follows:
- Primary Stage: This lasts for 4 years. Students are admitted to this stage once they have reached 72 months of age, during which they learn the fundamentals of reading and arithmetic.
- Middle (Preparatory) Stage: This stage lasts for 4 years. At its conclusion, the LGS exam is administered for one day only, and based on the results of this exam, the type of high school and the branch the student will join are determined.
- High School Stage: This stage also lasts for 4 years. There are various types of high schools in Turkey, and it is essential to be familiar with these types as they will determine your university choice, which we will discuss in a later section.
Types of High Schools in Turkey
After discussing the enrollment requirements and the stages of education in Turkish schools, it is necessary to highlight the types of high schools in Turkey. The type of high school chosen will determine the university a student will attend after obtaining a high school diploma. These types are:
Scientific High Schools:
Considered one of the best types of high schools chosen by students in Turkey in terms of university acceptance rates, these are public schools for students with exceptional aptitude in science. These competitive high schools prepare students for higher education in science, as well as technical, medical, and engineering fields. Additionally, English is the primary foreign language in these schools, where the study period extends for 4 years after the preparatory (middle) stage.
Social Sciences High Schools:
Social Sciences High Schools achieve high university acceptance rates among all high schools in Turkey, reaching up to 75% of the student body. Students admitted to these schools typically excel in literary and social science fields, preparing them to achieve the highest scores. One of the distinctive features of Social Sciences High Schools is that the number of students per class does not exceed 30, and the study period lasts for 4 years in addition to a preparatory year.
Anatolian High Schools:
These are the most widespread high schools in Turkey. They include one year of English language study followed by 3 years of regular high school education. Anatolian high schools are divided into the following departments:
- Mathematics and Science Department.
- Turkish Language and Social Sciences Department.
- Turkish Language and Mathematics.
- Foreign Languages Department.
Anatolian Vocational High Schools:
In some of these schools, the study period may extend by an additional year so that graduates can automatically transfer to higher vocational schools—vocational colleges where the study lasts for two years—enabling the student, if successful in the university entrance exam, to enroll in universities for 4 years in the same field.
Anatolian Schools for Imams and Preachers:
These schools aim to graduate professionals for work in preaching, oratory, and teaching the Holy Quran along with its sciences, and the study period lasts for 4 years.
Night High Schools:
These high schools accommodate students who have dropped out of high school for any reason. Night high schools are divided into two types:
- General public schools.
- Private schools.
Foreign High Schools:
These schools place great emphasis on teaching English, and students graduating from foreign high schools benefit from a high level of education, enabling them to easily gain admission to foreign universities.
Open Education High Schools:
Education in these high schools is based on a distance learning system, utilizing print, audio, and visual media. The study period lasts 4 years, divided into 8 academic terms; however, for those over 18 years old, it can be shortened to just two and a half years—approximately 5 academic terms—allowing them to directly enter the fourth term.
These schools are recognized by the Turkish Ministry of Education, and students in these schools can study a comprehensive high school curriculum on a flexible basis without the commitment of regular classroom attendance. Afterward, they qualify to take an exam which, upon passing, enables them to be selected by Turkish universities across all specializations.
Also read:
This brings us to the end of our article in which we discussed the enrollment requirements for Turkish schools and covered the key information that foreigners need to know when wishing to enroll their children. For more details, you can contact us at Skyline Education.