Distance Education for the Public during Turkey’s Early Republican Period: Physical Education Lessons on Radio

Abstract

Radio broadcasts in Turkey, mostly for entertainment, began on May 6, 1927. However, once Republican cadres and the intellectuals realized the power during the 1930s, programmes with social, cultural and educational purposes became more frequent. In 1934, radio was referred to as a ‘teacher’ and ‘trainer’, becoming a tool to raise the public to the level of a modern civilization. In November 1934, the government banned Turkish music on the radio and replaced it with spoken broadcasts, mostly educational. A remarkable radio series from this period was ‘Gymnastics Lessons’, presented by Selim Sırrı Tarcan and his daughter Azade Tarcan. Four lessons, mostly taught by Azade Tarcan, were broadcast each week (two each for men and women), covering children, youth, and the elderly. A total of 172 lessons were broadcast in one year. These gymnastics lessons during Turkey’s Early Republican Period were one of the most important and original examples of distance education and should be considered as part of the Republic’s eugenic policies focused on sustaining public health and the improvement of future generations.