Turkey dismisses thousands of Syrian teachers over lack of UNICEF support
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, Turkish authorities issued a decision providing for the dismissal of 13,000 Syrian teachers, many of whom served in public schools for years.
There are 15,000 Syrian teachers in Turkey, 2,000 of which teach in Istanbul province alone, according to unofficial statistics.
The Turkish Ministry of Education informed the teachers of their dismissal through a group message it sent via WhatsApp, saying that “the decision was due to the cessation of support by UNICEF.”
Since early 2021, Syrian teachers expressed their fears after their files were transferred from UNICEF, which was providing them with wages and salaries, to the Turkish government, according to previous reports by North Press.
At the time, North Press documented the appeal of a teacher after the Turkish authorities dismissed every teacher who did not obtain a university degree or the Turkish Language certificate.