Sezer Returns Law Envisaging Amendment To National Education Law

ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer returned the law envisaging amendment to the Basic Law on National Education to the parliament for reconsideration of its first article.
Releasing a statement, the Presidential Press Center stated on Wednesday that President Sezer returned the law to the parliament for reconsideration of its first article.
The article in question arranges granting poor children education opportunities in private schools.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said in his reason of partially sending back the law that as there was no opportunity for financing the education of poor students in schools which proved their quality and modernity, it would be inevitable for those students to be sent to private schools which didn't have full capacity and which were founded by certain circles for specific reasons.
''This situation means that these private schools will be supported by state funds on the one hand, and on the other hand they will also cause educating students with a different understanding and mentality which will not be in line with the characteristics of secular and democratic Turkish Republic,'' Sezer said in his reasons of opposing the article.
He also noted that ''giving education to poor schools in private schools also means transferring the basic mission of the state to private schools.'' Sezer also noted through the Presidential Press Centre statement that the basic missions of the state due to modern administration understanding was providing justice, defense, education and health.
President Sezer also noted that in state schools education was free and students could study in boarding schools by getting scholarship from the state and in Anadolu High Schools which gave education in foreign languages. Besides, he added that under additional article 4 of the Law on Private Schools, private schools were obliged to admit students free of charge whose number would not be less than 2 percent of their capacity.

PARLIAMENT WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY REGARDING LAW ENVISAGING AMENDMENT TO NATIONAL EDUCATION LAW
National Education Minister Huseyin Celik said on Wednesday that the parliament would do what is necessary regarding the law envisaging amendment to the Basic Law on National Education which was returned by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Replying to questions of reporters about Sezer's vetoing the first article of the law regulating granting poor children education opportunities in private schools, Celik said that it was the appreciation of President Sezer.
Asked if the mentioned article would be sent back to Sezer without any change, Celik said, ''I can't influence the will of the parliament. But, if the parliament took such a decision with compromise before, it will do the same thing again.''
When asked if the parliament would hold an extraordinary meeting to take up that article, Celik said, ''it is out of question for parliament to hold an extraordinary session for this. If the parliament convenes to discuss motion or any other thing in September, it can be passed.''
Assessing the Sezer's reason for returning the law on financing the education of poor students in private schools, Celik said, ''talking about establishing schools for different purposes by some circles will cause a dilemma in Turkey like establishing schools for normal education and for other purposes.''
Celik assessed the expression in Sezer's reason for returning the law saying that the foreseen implementation ''could cause educating students with a different understanding and mentality which will not be in line with the characteristics of secular and democratic Turkish Republic'' by saying, ''this is the comment of the president. If I agreed with this comment, I would not ask officials to prepare such a law. This means that I don't agree with this comment.''
Stating that Turkey was a state of law, Celik said that private and public schools were inspected by all concerned institutions particularly the National Education Ministry.
''If there are schools which give education to bring up people who have a mentality which will not be in line with the characteristics of secular and democratic Turkish Republic, the state should not permit them. Because, giving education in line with democratic and secular characteristics of the republic is one of the main goals of national education. The national education will not permit activities of schools which do not serve these basic goals. It will prevent activities of such a school. It is the constitutional and legal right of the president to return the first article. But, as the national education minister, it is not possible for me accept and agree with some factors in his reason for veto,'' Celik added.

AK PARTY AND CHP OFFICIALS ASSESS PRESIDENT SEZER'S DECISION TO SEND BACK LAW THAT OPENS WAY FOR POOR STUDENTS TO STUDY IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Officials of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Republican People's Party (CHP) assessed the decision of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who sent back to parliament one article of the law that opened the way for poor students to study in private schools.
AK Party deputy group chairman Salih Kapusuz told A.A correspondent that President Sezer sent back the first article of the law for reconsideration.
''We'll examine the reason of sending back the law after it is submitted to the parliament. We will arrange once again the regulation by taking into consideration the concern of President Sezer. We want to lift the obstacles for poor students to study in private schools if they are successful in the exams, with this regulation. The schools they will study are schools which are controlled by National Education Ministry and which give education in line with the laws. They are schools of the Republic...There is no reason to confuse the minds with certain political considerations,'' he said. Kapusuz said that the new regulation would be made after the parliament started its studies.
CHP deputy group chairman Haluk Koc said in his part that CHP deputies opposed the regulation during its discussion in various commissions and in the parliament saying that it was against the Constitution.
Koc said that if President Sezer didn't send that article back to the parliament, they would apply to the Constitutional Court, asserting that ''AK Party will learn in the end that it should come to terms with the law.''
(Öª) 13.08.2003