Many people, both Arabs and foreigners, plan to travel to Turkey and look for details about accommodation, housing, and information about Educational Stages, universities, and kindergartens in Turkey. There are a large number of kindergartens—both public and private—that offer many services for children, and in this article, Skyline Education will take you on a journey to discover the services provided by kindergartens in Turkey, their fees, and registration requirements.
The Importance of the Kindergarten Stage
There is no doubt that the kindergarten stage is one of the most important phases in a child's life, during which they receive the fundamental building blocks and initial seeds of knowledge that will later blossom into greater understanding and a wider range of sciences. At this stage, the child is at the beginning of their mental development and is ready to learn, understand, and perceive. In kindergarten, the child is taught the initial letters of the language, how to articulate and pronounce words, and how to distinguish between colors and shapes; however, this information is presented in an atmosphere of fun, amusement, and enjoyment. Kindergartens are places for fun more than they are places for learning, and what distinguishes one kindergarten from another is its ability to impart a significant amount of knowledge to the child and equip them with essential skills in an environment filled with joy and play, so that the child does not feel bored, dissatisfied, or miss their parents during the school hours at kindergarten.
Information About Kindergartens in Turkey
The scientific and academic progress achieved by the Turkish state has not been limited to schools, universities, research centers, and postgraduate studies; the kindergarten stage has also received significant attention from both the public and private sectors. The kindergarten stage is considered one of the crucial phases in every child's life, as it is during this time that the child acquires the basic skills and initial knowledge that enable them to embark on their educational journey. Kindergartens receive great attention in Turkey—almost every province, city, or even small neighborhood has a kindergarten for children. In Turkey, there are two types of kindergartens: public kindergartens, which are designated for Turks and Turkish citizens and have very low fees, and private kindergartens, which accept all children residing in Turkey regardless of their nationality and offer better services, albeit at higher fees.
Services Provided by Kindergartens in Turkey
Both public kindergartens and private kindergartens in Turkey offer an extensive range of services for children aimed at educating, nurturing, and preparing them for the transition to compulsory education. They provide numerous academic and life skills experiences that contribute to shaping the child’s personality in the best possible way. Some of the services and activities that kindergartens in Turkey focus on include:
- Training the child and accustoming them to perform tasks independently, assigning them certain responsibilities so they become capable of relying on themselves to accomplish various tasks.
- Accustoming the child to adhere to the official schedule and daily routine, including the daily hours of attendance, so that they are familiar with this system when they enter school.
- Organizing the child’s sleep and wake times and training them to stick to the kindergarten’s arrival and dismissal schedules.
- Focusing on developing the child’s social skills through play, interaction with others, and participation.
- Teaching the child the alphabet and some simple words, as well as the correct pronunciation of these words.
- Enhancing the child’s thinking and analytical skills through specialized games that stimulate thought and activate the mind.
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Public Kindergartens in Turkey
Public kindergartens are widespread across all provinces and cities in Turkey and are designated for Turks and Turkish citizens, although residence permit holders can also register their children in them. Registration for public kindergartens takes place in mid-June each year, and it is necessary to register at least two months before the start of the academic year due to the limited number of seats and the high demand for these kindergartens. Public kindergartens are characterized by their relatively low fees, with the monthly fee for registering a child being approximately 150 Turkish Lira.
If both parents are Turkish citizens and both are employed, they can register their children for full-day attendance from morning until evening. However, if only one parent works, they are entitled to register the child for half-day attendance—either from morning until noon or from noon until evening. The same applies to those who hold a Turkish residence permit but are not Turkish citizens; they are only allowed to register their children for half-day attendance.
There are some age restrictions in public kindergartens, as the child must be between 4 and 6 years old. Children over the age of six are not accepted, even if the parents do not wish to enroll them in school. Students are placed in groups, with each group consisting of 20 to 25 children.
Public kindergartens consist of colorful buildings and include small gardens, spacious play areas, plenty of toys, and useful educational tools for children. They also provide meals and various juices, and host many interactive activities and distinctive musical performances. However, one of the drawbacks of public kindergartens is that they do not offer foreign language instruction, do not organize field trips, and their classrooms are slightly smaller than those of private kindergartens.
Private Kindergartens in Turkey
Similar to public kindergartens, private kindergartens are also widespread throughout Turkey, but their requirements are much simpler. They accept all children from the age of two to six years and all students residing in Turkey regardless of their nationality. However, the registration cost is higher than that of their public counterparts, with monthly fees ranging between 1000 and 1500 Turkish Lira, inclusive of all the services provided. Additionally, students can be enrolled for full-day attendance from morning until evening without any restrictions.
Private kindergartens in Turkey excel over public kindergartens in many aspects. They have fewer students per group, larger classrooms, more expansive play areas, and the food provided is of better quality. Foreign languages, such as English or another foreign language, are taught. Private kindergartens also organize recreational trips for children periodically to the city, to a horse farm, to the theater, or to other destinations. In general, private kindergartens in Turkey offer a better experience for parents and superior services for children, although their prices are higher.
Arabic Kindergartens in Turkey
Arabs are present in all regions and provinces across Turkish territory, with the majority being Syrians. Many Arabs have established Arabic kindergartens in Turkey, but opinion polls indicate that the benefits of attending Turkish kindergartens outweigh those of Arabic ones, since the child will later attend Turkish schools and must interact directly with Turkish children. Enrolling a child in a Turkish kindergarten will better prepare them for the transition to studying in Turkish. Additionally, many of the staff in these Arabic kindergartens do not hold university degrees, and the low wages offered limit the efforts of the workforce and discourage experienced professionals from working there.
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This concludes our article Kindergarten Stage in Turkey, in which we explored the kindergarten stage, its importance in every child's life, and provided information about this stage in Turkey. We discussed in detail the features and characteristics of both public and private kindergartens in Turkey.