Pre-School Educational Process of Turkey

Süleyman Göksoy

doi:10.4236/jss.2017.53008

Abstract

Children make a rapid development physically, cognitively and affectively in preschool educational period (age 0 - 6). The cognitive dimension of a child at pre-school age is creative, independent and imaginary. The imagination unceasingly works. This period is regarded as the time that the children have high potential of learning and developing. Thus, the quality of preschool education affects the higher educational success and even the lifelong success of the child. Therefore the aims of the research are to emphasize the importance of preschool education on the development of the child, to make a comparison between the preschool education of Turkey and other developed countries and to support preschool education by explaining why and how the preschool education in Turkey should be improved. In this research, case study method from data collection methods was used; related written and electronic resources were collected, analyzed and interpreted in line with the research purpose. The following suggestions are developed in order to improve the preschool education in Turkey: Service delivery models that increase the participation to preschool education should be varied; the preschool educational facilities should be extended supporting the access of regions with limited financial means and regulations that decreasing the educational costs of families should be adopted. For all children, especially for families with low income, preschool educational institutions should be free like in more than half of European Union countries or preschool educational costs should be arranged in accordance with family incomes and other criterion, and families should be supported. The improvement and development priority should be given to preschool educational stage, accordingly physical resources (building, materials, substructure) and human resources (manager, educator, deputy manager and support staff) should be provided. Besides preschool teaching departments should be opened in faculties of education in universities and the quota of preschool teaching departments should be increased.

Highlights

Early childhood period, education and welfare cover the process between birth and primary school age (Eurydice and Eurostat, 2014) [1]
The following suggestions are developed in order to improve the preschool education in Turkey: Service delivery models that increase the participation to preschool education should be varied; the preschool educational facilities should be extended supporting the access of regions with limited financial means and regulations that decreasing the educational costs of families should be adopted
2) In Turkey, The Constitution, regulations about education, government programs, National Education Councils and other juridical texts, especially the strategies that Ministry of National Education determined in 2015-2019 Stragetical Plan about early childhood education stating that “service models that increase participation to preschool education should be varied extending the access of families and provinces with low income to preschool education and decreasing the cost of preschool education (Ministry of National Education, 2015) [10] and preschool educational objectives of preparing children physically, mentally and sensationally, creating a common environment for students from all economical levels, enabling children to speak Turkish well and fluently (Ministry of National Education, 2015) were not followed and necessary responsibilities were not accomplished

Summary

Introduction

Early childhood period, education and welfare cover the process between birth and primary school age (Eurydice and Eurostat, 2014) [1]. Child in early childhood education period (age 0 6) learns to categorise items according to size, color, shape and immutableness and develops linguistically. The child develops symbolical sense first and improves intuitive sense. Freud defines this process as the oral, the anal, the phallic, the latent and the genital phases in his psychosexual development theory and regards the experiences at the ages of 0 - 6 which cover the first three phases as the determinants of personality development (Yeşilyaprak, 2007) [4]

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Discussion

Conclusion