PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL PROTECTION EXPENDITURES IN TURKEY and EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Abstract

The study compared Turkey's education and social protection aid with European Union countries' aid based on EUROSTAT data. The study aims to analyze the adequacy and effectiveness of education expenditures and educational aid provided within the scope of social assistance compared to EU countries. As a method in the study, within the framework of the general screening research model, education aid data within the scope of education expenditures and social protection expenditures in Turkey were analyzed, and these data were assessed comparatively with social protection expenditures in the European Union countries. Considering that the majority of social protection aid in Turkey is generally allocated to general health insurance premiums, pensions for the elderly and disabled, and home care services, the payments made to families with disadvantaged children remain low in terms of both the number of beneficiaries and the total allowance. Compared to EU countries, it seems that the share allocated to families and children remains low in social protection expenditures, and there needs to be increased social aid expenditures in favor of families and children, as in the EU, and to increase the general amount of social aid.