Educational Guidance and Support in Turkish educational system is provided by the Ministry of National Education at all levels of education including early childhood education, primary and secondary education. As for the higher education, the Council of Higher Education regulates the provisions regarding educational guidance and support at tertiary level.
Special Education refers to the educational provisions, educated personnel with the necessary competences, developed curricula and syllabi for this group of individuals as well as the pedagogic methodology and aims at equipping those group of people with the academic competences in the appropriate educational contexts.
The principles and procedures for providing compulsory education for individuals with special educational needs are structured to include secondary education in order to benefit from the general and vocational education for the rights of individuals who need special education. These principles and procedures are organized by the Regulation of Special Education Services, the Ministry of National Education. In addition, mainstreaming education services for students who continue their education along with their registered students with special educational needs/regulatory provisions that will be conducted on applicable in the institution are applied together.
Educational assessment and diagnosis of individuals are performed by the Counseling Research Centers (CRC) to identify the individuals with special needs as well as what provisions they require at every cycle of educational provisions. In addition, the Ministry may open schools and institutions for those individuals. Within this regard, individuals with hearing and visual impairment orthopedically handicapped and gifted individuals are provided educational provisions at institutional level. For those who are at school age and yet cannot participate in formal educational institutions due to the health problems are offered education at home and hospitals.
Based on the numbered 5580 Law on Special Education Institutions, a support educational provision is offered in special education and rehabilitation centers as well as at special education schools in line with the educational descriptions of the handicapped or the nature of the special education. Within this framework, educational expenses of the individuals with special needs are compensated by the Ministry of National Education, as is depicted in the 43rd Article of the 652nd Law. Precautions are taken for the individuals with special needs to secure the principle of possessing education in least limited educational contexts where peers with normal developmental progress receive education, or in special education classrooms, or in day and/or night dormitory schools.
The Ministry of National Education cooperates with the concerning Ministries to administer the special education schools, institutions, counselling and research centres, work schools and private education and vocational education centres as well as other schools and institutions at same level and type. Additionally, the Ministry works collaboratively with these institutions to prepare the curriculum, syllabus, course programs, textbooks and educational materials.
Counselling; Within the general objectives of the Turkish educational system, counselling provisions refer to the studies conducted by the experts to help individuals actualize themselves, to benefit from the educational provisions in line with their needs and abilities at utmost level and to support them during their educational life.
Counselling provisions can be analysed under 3 dimensions: Educational Counselling, Career Counselling and Individual Counselling.
Educational counselling refers to offering counselling services for each student to harmonize with the educational-training processes in terms of their personal competences, abilities, needs and vocational value, and to help find out the pathway for the future educational alternatives. In this context, adapting students to the educational institutions, developing study skills, increasing the motivation and leading to the further education are among the duties of the educational counselling services.
Career counselling addresses the provisions offered to individuals to help make career effective choices, find appropriate fields of profession for themselves and get ready for the business life. Those provisions start with the early childhood education and continue up to further educational cycles and family participation is sought during this process.
Individual counselling refers to the counselling and psychological guidance for the individuals to help overcome their personal problems specific to their personal and social developmental processes.
The content and context of the guidance vary in accordance with the needs and nature of the given student in early childhood education, primary and secondary education. Generally, excluding the schools in the early childhood education, all of the schools are appointed a teacher specialized on psychology and guidance by the Ministry. Working as a consultant and a monitor in the school, these teachers provide psychological consultancy for those who need certain affective support as well as their parents in line with the areas of competencies. Psychological consultancy and guidance teachers work as a therapist, guide and a carrier planner for the students of upper secondary education.
Having theoretical knowledge of the target area of the Guidance and Psychological counselling program conducted at the undergraduate level in higher education institutions; having the knowledge, skills and attitudes that can provide a wide range of services specific to the area; being sensitive to human well-being, being able to conceptualize human life as a developmental process; having respect, curiosity and understanding of individual and social differences; integrating professional development and individual development are the characteristics to train professionals with the flexibility to work with various segments of the society. Most of the program graduates work as guidance counsellors in research centers affiliated to the Ministry of National Education and as psychological counsellors in primary and secondary education institutions. They also work in special psychological counselling centers, armed forces psychological counselling and guidance centers, family and child courts, university psychological counselling centers, health and industry institutions. In brief, graduates of the Bachelor of Guidance and Psychological counselling program are trained in the fields of education, justice, health, and industry with the title of counselling Teacher (Psychological Counsellor) or with the title of the staff to be given by the employing institution (eg Psychological Counsellor, Pedagogue, Human Resources Expert).
At tertiary level, the guidance and support are carried out by two major sources. First, every student enrolled to a tertiary program is provided with a consultant, who is an academician in the same program. The major objective of the consultant faculty member is to lead the student throughout the program and help make effective academic choices. For the psychological support, university units such as hospitals or the small health units of the universities employ psychologists for providing guidance and support for the students.
During the educational assessment and diagnosis of individuals, characteristics of all developmental areas and academic competences of the individuals are evaluated for the educational purposes. In light of those data, educational needs of the individuals are identified, and then decided on the need of a special education. Educational assessment and diagnosis of individuals is performed in the Counselling and Research Centers in an objective way with the standardized tests. Individual’s medical assessment report, as well as mental, physical, psychological, social developmental history, characteristics in all the development fields, competency in the academic fields, educational performance, needs, time for benefiting from the education services and individual development report prepared by the teacher of the school where the child is registered are taken into consideration in diagnosing process. Evaluation and evaluation of educational guidance is repeated as necessary at the request of the parent or school/institution taking into account the educational performance and educational needs of the individuals and the transitions of all types and stages of education.
It is determined that the children at the age of 37-66 months with special education needs carry primarily on their education with their peers without any disabilities within the content of mainstreaming in the preschool education institutions in the same class or in special education classes. However, special education kindergartens could be opened under schools and institutions for the children at the age of 37-66 months old that cannot carry on their education through mainstreaming education, and for the children at the age of 48-66 months old. In addition, special education early childhood educational units could be opened by the directorates of national education in line with the proposal of the board of special education services in order to give a service for the children with a need for special education between these months under special education kindergarten and special education centres (schools) for the purpose of offering an early childhood education for the children at the age of 0 -36 months needing a special education.
Individuals in need of special education may continue their primary and secondary school education primarily in primary and secondary schools for individuals with special education needs as well as those who can coexist with their peers at general or vocational and technical secondary education institutions through integration/integration practices.
Individuals who are in need of special education whose decision is directed to general or vocational and technical secondary education institutions that do not receive students with the central system common exams are placed in the boarding schools of the residential schools without quotas in the framework of the business association to be made with the related units.
For the students who want to study in the residence, the possibilities of the nearby boarding schools are evaluated according to the residence address and enough quotas provided through the decision of the general or vocational and technical secondary education institutions.
Individuals who are unable to achieve the objectives of the general education programs at the primary and secondary levels continue their education at special education schools/ institutions where the education programs are implemented in line with the performance levels of the developmental areas.
Students who have completed secondary school are directed to general, vocational and technical secondary schools to and students who have completed the special education schools/institutions implementing the special education program are directed to schools that meet their characteristics.
Individuals who cannot complete their primary education institutions for various reasons and who fall outside the compulsory primary school age can continue their education in the Open Education Secondary School of the Ministry of National Education. Age registration is not required for those who are certified with a document to be obtained from the Special Education Services Board that requires special education (21.7.2012 / 28360 R.G., Regulation of special education services).
Special Education Services at Adult Education; an education service is given to the individuals with a need for special education through the programs arranged in different issues and periods in special education institutions and other departments.
Non-formal education services; they are carried out to improve the basic life skills of individuals, to meet their learning needs, to prepare programs aiming at preparing them for profession and to practice them. They are prepared in a way to comprise knowledge and skills for the purpose of making family actively involve in the education of individual and making individuals attain basic life skills. In line with the improvement features of individuals and their competence, it is planned by taking the demands of market of work into consideration with the opportunities of the environment they are in. Non-formal education services are planned and implemented in cooperation with provincial vocational education board and official and private institutions and organizations.
Each individual is in a direct or indirect relationship with the world of education and work. So everybody needs support and guidance about education. TQF leads a link between education and world of work. The TQF includes all qualifications awarded as a result of recognition of the individual's learning outcomes by a responsible body, regardless of the learning context. These qualifications include the diplomas awarded by the Ministry of National Education, Journeyman’s and Mastership Certificates, the Course Completion Certificates; diplomas and certificates awarded by higher education institutions, VQA Vocational Qualification Certificates awarded by the Vocational Qualifications Authority, and certificates and documents issued by authorized institutions in accordance with the international agreements and the national legislation.
Inclusion of a qualification into the TQF approves that;
• It is described by the learning outcomes approach,
• It meets the quality assurance criteria,
• The process of access to the qualification is reliable and transparent
• The relationship with other qualifications is clearly explained,
• It is recognized by trainers and employers,
• It has a clear reference to the European Qualifications Framework.
The qualifications awarded in Turkey and general information about them will be accessed through the Qualifications Database of Turkey.
The Database has been developed as an online platform including general information both in Turkish and English about qualifications within the scope of the TQF provided by different responsible bodies such as the Ministry of National Education, higher education institutions and Vocational Qualifications Authority.
The title and the description of the qualification in learning outcomes, awarding body, TQF and EQF levels, ISCED and ISCO codes, validity date, entry requirements, ways to acquire and relevant web links are available in the Database.
The Database will also be linked to the Qualification Pillar of ESCO developed and managed by the European Commission. Therefore the citizens of other countries, as well as the national public, will be able to easily access the information about the qualifications offered in Turkey and consequently the learning opportunities.
Besides, the institutions of other countries where our citizens seek for education or employment will easily access the information transparently presented in English about the qualifications in Turkey, and thereby the comprehensibility and reliability of the qualifications will increase.
The Turkish Qualifications Database which will be regularly updated can be accessed at http://portal.tyc.gov.tr/
Within the scope of mainstreaming, individuals who need special education are provided with the opportunity to benefit from the non-formal education programs within the framework of the cooperation with other official and private institutions and organizations. Individuals participating in non-formal education programs opened in private education schools and institutions are covered by the Ministry during their education and training. In addition, relatives or relatives at the first level who participate in family education programs for individuals who need special education also benefit from the same remuneration. In non-formal education institutions, special education classes can be created for individuals who need special education (Regulation on Special Education Services, Article 33).
Special education services in higher education; RAMs are guided to higher education by the executive committee of guidance and counselling services or guidance and psychological counselling service for individuals who need special education to complete secondary education. Higher education entrance examinations and evaluations of these individuals in the type of disability and to make arrangements in accordance with the characteristics of the relevant institutions and organizations in the business association is made (Article 32 of Special Education Services Regulation).
The services of special education and guidance are carried out by General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services, one of 19 service units of the Ministry according to the decree law with a no of 652 concerning the organization and duties of the Ministry of Education. The Studies are carried out by the Constitution, 5378 No. disabilities, the Regulation of Special Education Services, Regulation of preschool and primary institutions, Regulation of secondary education institutions, and Guidance Advisory services are based on the relevant Regulation.
Education through mainstreaming; these are special education applications based on the principle that individuals with special education needs could carry on their education with their peers having normal development by providing them supportive educational services in official or private preschool, primary and secondary and widespread education institutions.
Individuals with special educational needs in the mainstream can continue as part-time through education, such as in special education classes to pursue full-time in the same class with their peers with normal development. Students enrolled in special education classes can coexist with other peers in accordance with the planning of mainstreaming within the scope of part-time individualized education program development units, some lessons and social activities.