Abstract
In addition to the socio-economic change and industrialization experienced in Turkey in the 1950’s, the course of the country’s international relations increased the need for foreign language-speaking personnel. Some of the decisive reasons for the Ministry of National Education for opening the Maarif Colleges include the fact that foreign language education in secondary education institutions was not adequately efficient and the schools that teach foreign languages were inadequate in number and were located in certain centers. The Maarif Colleges, established in 1955, were public schools with paid boarding facilities that provided education in Turkish and English languages. In the first stage, the Maarif Colleges were opened in Istanbul, Izmir, Samsun, Konya, Eskişehir and Diyarbakır. Turkey’s membership in NATO and its close ties with the United States after the Second World War also played an important role in the establishment and operation of the colleges. The Maarif Colleges became attractive educational institutions in a short period since they provided education in foreign language and generally high-quality education in other fields. The number of Anatolian High school built on the Maarif College experience has gradually increased over time and these schools have become the most common type of school in secondary education.
Highlights
After the Second World War, Turkey’s ties with the United States became closer as a result of the transition to multi-party life in Turkey in domestic politics and tense relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union in foreign policy
Some of the decisive reasons for the Ministry of National Education for opening the Maarif Colleges include the fact that foreign language education in secondary education institutions was not adequately efficient and the schools that teach foreign languages were inadequate in number and were located in certain centers
Establishment of the Maarif Colleges. The establishment of these schools, which are named Official Colleges by the Ministry of National Education, but more commonly known as Maarif Colleges, coincided with a period when the Democratic Party was in power and affirmative Turkish-US relations reached high levels in many areas
Summary
After the Second World War, Turkey’s ties with the United States became closer as a result of the transition to multi-party life in Turkey in domestic politics and tense relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union in foreign policy. The USA provided a loan amounting to 10 million dollars to Turkey for purchase of military equipment (Resmi Gazete, 1946) This treaty was followed by another treaty signed in Ankara on 6 December 1946 and the USA declared Turkey was in the protection zone under the Truman Doctrine, announced on 12 March 1947 (Gevgilili, 1987; Resmi Gazete, 1947). This convergence, which started in the political, military, and economic fields, manifested itself in the field of education. The legal infrastructure was created enabling the USA to influence the National Education policies of Turkey
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
