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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

In Türkiye, the main public authority responsible for education is the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). The governance of education is therefore largely shaped through a central administrative structure under the Ministry. The duties and powers of the Ministry of National Education are specified in the Presidential Decree No.1 regarding the Presidential Organisation, published in the Official Gazette on 10/7/2018 with the numner 30474, amending the Basic Law of the National Education numbered 1739. In the Presidential Decree No.1 regarding the Presidential Organisation, the duties and authorities of the Ministry of National Education ar as follows:

1. To design, implement, update education and training programs that develop students at pre-school, primary and secondary education physically, mentally, morally, spiritually, socially ad culturally and equip them with knowledge and skill required by the social structure based on human rights and economical system having the power to compete in the global level, and prepare them to the future; to carry out and supervise education and training services of teachers and students in this framework,

2. To set, implement national policies and strategies for each level of education and training, to monitor and supervise their implementation, to update and develop them according to emerging new service models.

3. To design and develop the education system in the light of up to date techniques and models in harmony with the needs of the dynamic, economical and social development that is open to innovations.

4. To develop, implement policies and strategies that facilitate access to education, secure all citizens to enjoy education opportunities and potentials equally, to monitor and coordinate their implementation,

5. To develop, implement policies and strategies that extend participation of girl students, disabled and other section of the society requiring special attention, to coordinate implementation thereof,

6. To design, implement special education and training programs that protect and improve the special qualification of the gifted people, to coordinate implementation thereof,

7. To open education and training institutions other than the higher education, permit them to be opened and supervise them,

8. To carry out works on the needs and problems of the Turkish nationals working or residing abroad in educational field in cooperation with the relevant institutions and organisations,

9. To determine accreditation degree of formal and non-formal education and training institutions opened by institutions and organisations other than the higher education, to prepare programs and regulations,

10. To fulfill duties and responsibilities assigned to he Ministry by the Higher Education Law (Yükseköğretim Kanunu) no. 2547 dated 04/11/1981 in order to ensure performance of the higher education within the integrity of national education policy.

11)To cultivate constructive, creative, and productive individuals with a balanced and healthy development in terms of body, mind and morality, spirit and emotion, possessing free and scientific thinking abilities, a broad worldview, respect for human rights, valuing personality and entrepreneurship, having a sense of responsibility towards society.

12)To perform other duties given by Laws and Presidential Decrees.

The Ministry of National Education also places great importance on obtaining the views of those benefiting from its services and engaging with stakeholders, in line with the participatory nature of its planning approach. Gathering the opinions and suggestions of stakeholders is considered essential for developing sustainable policies that respond to the needs and expectations of service users. It is also important for ensuring that stakeholders take ownership of the activities and projects set out in strategic planning documents. In order to ensure broad participation in situation analysis studies, stakeholders were identified through an analysis of the Ministry’s organisational structure, relevant legislation and fields of activity. Using an impact/significance matrix, stakeholder prioritisation was carried out and a final stakeholder list was created. A “Stakeholder Survey” was developed to determine the relevance of identified stakeholders to the administration’s services, to understand their expectations from the administration, and to assess how they influence and are influenced by the administration’s services. The survey included questions aimed at measuring awareness of the administration, satisfaction levels and priority areas for improvement. It was administered to employees at school, institution, district, provincial and central levels, as well as to students, parents and public institutions. The survey, which was made publicly available, was answered by approximately 60,000 stakeholders within a short period. Detailed information on the results of the analysis can be found in the Stakeholder Analysis Report and the Situation Analysis Report.

In addition, in accordance with Article 9 of the Public Financial Management and Control Law, public administrations prepare strategic plans through participatory methods in order to formulate their future missions and visions, set strategic objectives and measurable targets, measure performance in line with predetermined indicators, and monitor and evaluate this process. Within this framework, the preparation process for the Ministry of National Education 2024–2028 Strategic Plan was announced to the Ministry’s central and provincial units through Circular No. 2022/21. The Circular referred to the importance of the strategic management approach, the legal basis of planning, and the progress achieved through the Ministry’s previous strategic plans. It also included the Strategy Development Board, the Strategic Planning Team and the 2024–2028 Strategic Plan Preparation Programme as annexes. The Preparation Programme set out the Ministry of National Education Strategic Planning Model for the 2024–2028 period, covering such elements as ownership of the plan by all units, organisation of the planning process, identification of needs, scheduling, methods of situation analysis, mission, vision and core values, as well as the preparation of the performance programme and the monitoring and evaluation of implementation results. The Ministry of National Education 2024–2028 Strategic Plan was prepared on the basis of a literature review, broadly participatory workshops and meetings, and a comprehensive situation analysis report, including programme and sub-programme analysis, analysis of upper-level policy documents, legislative analysis, identification of fields of activity and products and services, PESTLE and SWOT analyses, evaluation of the strategic plan in force, collection of the views of internal and external stakeholders, internal organisational analysis, and the identification of findings and needs.

Basic High Policy Documents

1. Acquis and Progress Reports

2. 12. Development Plan (Kalkınma Planı)

3. Medium Term Program

4. The Presidential 100-Day Action Plan

5. The 2023 Presidential Annual Program 

6. 2024-2028 Strategic Plan of the Ministry of National Education (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı 2024–2028 Stratejik Planı)

7. National Education Council Resolution

8. National Education Quality Framework (Millî Eğitim Kalite Çerçevesi)

Cross-sectorial cooperation

In Türkiye, cross-sectoral cooperation in education is mainly coordinated by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) through protocols, joint programmes and project-based partnerships with other public institutions and non-public actors. This cooperation is particularly visible in areas where education intersects with social inclusion, health, sport, lifelong learning and employment. MoNE’s lifelong learning framework explicitly allows cooperation with public institutions and organisations, other ministries, international organisations, private bodies and civil society organisations in order to improve efficiency, avoid duplication and pool resources.

One important area of cooperation is social policy. MoNE works with the Ministry of Family and Social Services to support children’s adaptation to school, strengthen school-family relations and guide parents throughout the educational process. This shows that educational policy is linked not only to formal schooling, but also to child welfare and family support mechanisms.

Cooperation with the health sector is also an established component of educational policy. MoNE and the Ministry of Health implement joint school health programmes covering health protection and promotion in schools, first aid, emergency health services, healthy nutrition and broader school health services. Official MoNE school health materials state that many programmes and projects are carried out jointly by the two ministries.

Another major area is cooperation with the youth and sports sector. MoNE and the Ministry of Youth and Sports cooperate in order to strengthen sports culture in schools, identify students’ abilities, direct them towards relevant sports branches and support their physical, social and emotional development through school-based activities. This cooperation is reflected both in formal protocols and in broader school sports coordination practices.

Cross-sectoral cooperation is especially strong in vocational and technical education, where education policy is closely connected to labour market needs. MoNE works with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, organised industrial zones and private sector actors to strengthen practical training, expand workplace-based learning and improve graduates’ employability. Recent protocols and sectoral cooperation models show that vocational education is increasingly shaped through collaboration with production and employment actors.

Overall, cross-sectoral cooperation in Turkish education policy is both institutional and issue-based. Depending on the policy field concerned, cooperation may involve ministries responsible for health, social services, youth and sports, as well as industry, employers, civil society and international partners. This indicates that education governance in Türkiye increasingly relies on coordination across sectors rather than on the education administration alone.