JOURNAL SET 2

                                   

                                    Village Institutes

     

          

          Around 40’s and 50’s, we had the education system that was very useful for both students and development of the country. It was founded by Ismail Hakkı Tonguç and Hasan Ali Yücel.

          

          Students were accepted to village institutes with 30 Turkish Lira and after they graduated, they had to make at least 20 years of compulsory duty for the government. They were sent to the villages to reconstruct the rural areas and to teach the people how to make agriculture. They did not take only academical lessons; they also take art, agriculture and cultural education. They built their own buildings and they raised their own fruits and vegetables. In addition, they had to play at least one instrument and took another art lesson which was generally sewing for girls and fixing for boys. They had got Saturday meeting in which the week was evaluated by students and teachers in every aspect. All of the people, even the head of the school, were equal and had got the same vote for evaluating. They could express themselves very plainly. Even once, the head of the minister of education came and the cook had made him a special menu for the lunch, students could bring this into issue at the weekend meeting and complained about it.

         

            Consequently, village institutes were closed down by with the assertion that it increased the gap between peasant and city-dweller. However, there is more than what it seems. Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan must be searched if you are into this case. Foreign countries came to observe how it was presented and after they took the concept we shut down our village institutes. And developed countries still have this conception of education. We have started our improvement and contemporary with our hands until we have killed it with the same hands.