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Educational Institutions in Ottoman TurkeyPage 2 of 2
The ibtidâiyye (primary) schools accepted children no less than 6 years old. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that the ibtidâiyye schools were modern versions of the traditional Quran schools. After a 4-year study in the ibtidâiyya school, the student could go to the rüsdiye schools. The rüsdiye schools admitted only the graduates of ibtidâiyye schools and during its 3-year study, the students were taught the following courses: Mathematics, Engineering, Accounting (Hisâb), Geography, History, Basic Health Information, Ilm-i hâl, language, and Calligraphy. The traditional schools did not have a system of classroom; it was only with the rüsdiye schools that class system was introduced. It was quite probable that the quality of education and the diversity of courses changed from region to region. The reign of Mahmud II witnessed the insufficiency of the sibyan schools and a reform program for these schools was planned. However, later a new school, named rüsdiye mektebi, was introduced. The pupils could visit the rüsdiye schools after their graduation from the sibyan/ibtidaiye schools. A new ministry for rüsdiye schools (Mekatib-i Rüsdiye Nezareti) was created. Though some researchers consider the Mekteb-i Maarif-i Adliye as the first rüsdiye school in 1838, some other stressed the occupational character of this school (Kodaman, 1999, 91-92). It is for this reason that the first rüsdiye school is believed to be opened in Istanbul in 1847. When the first rüsdiye became successful, new rüsdiye school began to be opened, but its dissemination to provincial periphery required several decades. As far as the curriculum of these schools were considered, at the beginning the reading of the Quran, Writing, and basic computation and Arabic come to the forefront, but later Geography, Mathematics and Persian were added to the curriculum. The ministry that was earlier established with regard to the rüsdiye schools was, in 1846, extended to cover other public schools as well: Ministry for Public Schools (Mekatib-i Umumiye Nezareti). Until 1867 the rüsdiye schools accepted only Muslim students, but parallel to the Ottomanist policy of the period, non-Muslims pupils began to be accepted after this date. The regulation for rüsdiye schools, which was issued in 1869, further improved the conditions and service of these schools3. How successful were the rüsdiye schools? Somel answers this question as follows: “Looking at the Tanzimat period prior to 1869, the main steps of reform in the realm of education could be observed in the fields of secondary and professional institutions. Though rüsdiyye schools as institutions embodied educational modernization during this period, they ultimately proved to be unsuccessful as secondary schools (Somel, 2001, 8). Despite the introduction of civil educational institutions, traditional schools continued to exist, and as in many other Tanzimat institutions, institutional dualism continued in the field of education. The basic characteristic of the Tanzimat period in terms of history of Ottoman-Turkish education is the growing state control over the educational institutions and the concomitant decline of the ulema’s role in these institutions. The decreasing control of the ulema on the educational institutions and the growing number of governmental schools meant a significant degree of secularization in the field of education. One concrete example of this process was the change in the terminology. For instance, as far as teachers are concerned, muallim/muallime replaced the traditional “hoca” (Alkan, 2008, 15). The most significant turning point of the mid-nineteenth century is the foundation of Ministry of Public Education in 1857. The growing need for public education was the primary reason for its establishment. With the promulgation of Regulation of Public Education (Maarif-i Umumiye Nizamnamesi) in 1869 the Ottoman Empire assumed the responsibility to provide modern education for its subjects (Alkan 2001, 127). The Regulation, which was adopted under the influence of French Ministry of Education, is considered to be the sign of an important shift toward a more secular understanding of primary education. The Sublime Porte had now more saying over the schools and the school buildings began to be constructed in accordance with the plans sent from Istanbul. The regulation also envisioned the establishment of education councils in the provincial capitals. It is quite meaningful that by 1872 only two provinces had education councils, namely Tuna and Baghdad, where Midhat Pasha had provided the necessary infrastructure. The 1870s and the Hamidian period, in general, witnessed the rise of primary ibtidâî schools and the secondary idâdî schools, while the rüsdiyyes of the Tanzimat period, though continuing to exist, increasingly became obsolete” (Somel, 2001, 8). The traditional sibyan schools were reorganized and became ibtidaiye (primary) schools; however, this period comes to the forefront with a strong emphasis on idadi (secondary) schools. This period also witness the foundation of mekteb-i sultanis, namely the Galatasaray Lisesi and Darüssafaka Lisesi.
3 For the articles of this regulations see, ibid, p. 93.
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