Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer noted that humanity has been witnessing many important political, social and economic transitions and changes in the last century while facing earth-shaking realities such as climate change, natural disasters, war and immigration despite developments in the information and communication technologies.

 

Stating that the Ministry of National Education has been working in an effort to prepare children to the future and reinforce the education system amidst these changes and transformations, Özer said, "Our projects concerning gradually increasing problems such as climate change, environmental pollution as well as zero waste have turned into a large campaign."

 

Özer stressed that the Zero Waste Project initiated under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's spouse Emine Erdoğan aiming at raising environment awareness among students has achieved many national and international successes adding that, "The project has taken many important steps. We have built 452 libraries from recycled materials as a part of the No More Schools Without Libraries project and raised awareness about zero waste." 

 

The Ministry is also organizing training programs regarding disasters, environment and climate change for teachers and school administrators and more than 200,000 teachers and administrators already attended these training programs. Public Education Centers have environment awareness training programs for parents and people of all ages.

 

Özer said that the physical infrastructure of schools are reinforced in line with the "clean school clean energy" principle adding that "environment and climate change" elective courses in secondary schools have raised awareness among students.

 

"Now, we are working in an effort to include environmental science and management elective courses to the curriculum of high schools. The course will include atmosphere and climate change, preservation of biodiversity, water and life and soil and life chapters," said Özer.

 

Özer noted that the Ministry has intensified environmental, climate change and zero waste activities under the roof "Clean School and Clean Energy" principle as a part of "Environmentally Friendly 1000 Schools" Project.

 

The project carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change carried out zero waste activities to a higher level.

 

"The final goal of the project is to make all of 57,108 schools environmentally friendly. Right now, we have reinforced 865 schools and maintained energy efficiency. We are aiming at increasing the number of such schools to 1,000 until the end of this year. We have installed solar panels to the roofs of 77 schools and reached a total of 6 megawatt energy capacity. We have decided to establish two large solar farms in order to respond to renewable energy needs of schools. Electricity which we will generate from solar energy plants with the total capacity of 14 megawatts will be equivalent to the energy consumption of 392 schools," stated Özer.

 

Minister Özer said that solar energy panels and rain collectors will be installed at schools and recycled materials will be used for building new libraries at schools.

 

He noted that compost machines will be installed in schools in order to convert all organic waste to natural fertilizers.  

 

Minister Özer went on to say that the Ministry will open "Sustainable Earth" section in the Education Information Network (EBA) and they already organized a workshop in an effort to prepare a Climate Change Action Plan.