President of the Union of Education and Science Workers (Eğitim-Sen) Zübeyde Kılıç proposes that in order to prepare a scientific and objective curriculum, the authorities should make use of the opinions of the union members or they should appoint those union members who are experts in this to the groups formed for the task.
Meeting at the headquarters of the Eğitim-Sen in Ankara over the weekend, the Philosophers Association examined Ministry of Education’s (MEB) new philosophy sociology and psychology programs.
According to Kılıç, although philosophy no more looks like philosophy in this new program and the sociology and psychology courses are detached, to a large degree, from their scientific bases, the problem is not only how philosophy is treated, but the whole curriculum.
“Curriculum should be prepared by the scientists”
Kılıç told the following to bianet:
“The committee responsible for the preparation of the books calls in a group of scientists and experts during the preparation of the philosophy, sociology and psychology books. However, because of the discussions during the meeting, nothing comes out of it and the committee prepares the books by itself.”
According to Kılıç, the discussions arise because of the presence of those members who are not from the field of education. She proposes committees consisting of academicians, scientists and teachers for the preparation of the school books.
“AKP is trying to raise individuals that fit to its own ideology”
“The Justice and Development Party (AKP), the ruling party, wants to shape every field of life in accordance with its own ideology. Its interfering in the curriculum is part of this goal.”
“Considering that philosophy is basically transformed to a religious doctrine and remembering how the religious culture and ethics books are structured, I believe that the ruling party’s real goal is to raise individuals that fit to its own ideology.” (BÇ/EÜ/TB)