18M students in Türkiye complete 2025-2026 school year

Nearly 18 million students across Türkiye will receive their report cards on Friday and begin their summer vacation, bringing the 2025-2026 academic year to a close after 10 months of schooling.

The academic year began on Sept. 8, 2025, for students in preschool, primary and secondary education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MEB). Following semester breaks in November and March, the second term, which started on Feb. 2, will officially end on June 26.

To mark the final week of school, the ministry prepared a nationwide program of cultural, artistic and sports activities designed to support students’ intellectual, social, emotional and physical development.

The activities are being organized under an “virtue-value-action” framework and aim to encourage learning through games and participation without placing additional financial burdens on families.

The school year also saw the continued implementation of the Century of Türkiye Education Model curriculum, which was gradually introduced in kindergarten classes, primary school grades one and two, middle school grades 5 and 6, and high school preparatory, 9th and 10th grades.

The ministry distributed approximately 184 million textbooks free of charge to schools nationwide and introduced new regulations on school uniforms aimed at reducing costs for parents by eliminating restrictive requirements such as special logos, prints and patterns.

Environmental awareness and sustainability were among the ministry’s priorities throughout the year. Schools participated in the “Green Homeland-My School is a Solution for the Future” initiative, which featured monthly activities focusing on topics including forests, climate change, water efficiency, disaster preparedness, zero waste and environmental protection.

Schools across the country also hosted a range of cultural and social programs. During Ramadan, students took part in activities under the theme “Ramadan at the Heart of Education,” while events marking National Sovereignty and Children’s Day and vocational education month were organized in the spring semester. The first week of the second term was dedicated to activities promoting love for the Turkish flag, national unity and shared values.

The ministry also expanded its digital education initiatives. During the year, students launched “Let Us Know,” a news bulletin produced with student participation and broadcast through the Education Information Network (EBA), EBA YouTube and TRT EBA platforms.

The ministry also introduced its “Out-of-School Learning” digital platform, enabling teachers to access educational resources and organize visits to museums, libraries and science centers.

In addition, the AI-supported foreign language learning platform “DİLİM” was launched to help students learn languages through content reflecting Turkish culture, traditions and values. The platform is also expected to support Turkish language learning among foreigners and strengthen Turkish language education for children of Turkish citizens living abroad.

The academic year also included the nationwide High School Transition System (LGS) examination, which was held on June 13 with the participation of more than 1 million students. For the first time, nutrition packages were distributed to more than 924,000 students during the exam, while AI-supported camera systems were used to enhance security measures.

Meanwhile, teachers and school administrators will participate in online professional development seminars on June 29 and 30 focusing on topics including family, addiction and the digital age. According to the ministry’s academic calendar, the 2026-2027 school year will begin on Sept. 14.

DAILYSABAH