Due to the inadequacy of the books given by the Ministry of National Education, the teachers demand separate supplementary books for each class in the education that started at a time when everyone focused on the health field due to the pandemic. Although it seems that it is not obligatory to buy supplementary books, when children fall behind in classes, parents have to buy supplementary books. The Ministry of National Education, on the other hand, warns only the provincial directorates of National Education, despite the problem of supplementary books.
With the start of face-to-face education in schools, many problems began to come to the fore. Since the textbooks distributed free of charge by the Ministry of National Education since 2003 are insufficient, teachers demand to buy supplementary books, while parents are forced to buy supplementary books so that students do not fall behind in their classes. The Ministry of National Education, on the other hand, is content with sending letters to schools and asking them not to buy supplementary books, and monitors the events from Ankara. While parents revolt against the supplementary book industry created by this system, the exorbitant prices of supplementary books are astounding.
MINISTRY SENT A LETTER TO 81 PROVINCIAL DIRECTORATES
Against the rush of supplementary books, the Ministry of National Education sent an official letter to 81 provincial directorates of National Education on "Educational Materials That Can Be Used". In the letter sent to all provincial directorates, it was reminded that there is a provision in the regulation that "textbooks and other educational tools that are not determined by the Ministry cannot be ignored by students", and it was stated that the ministry received information that parents had difficulties in terms of supplementary books despite the provision in the regulation. In the article, in addition to the books given by the ministry, it was warned not to buy books other than the books determined for support and not to create a financial burden on the parents.
REQUESTED SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKS CREATE FINANCIAL LOSS ON PARENTS
Although the prices of the supplementary books requested in schools vary according to their fields and content, the cost of an average student's supplementary book varies between 600 TL and one thousand TL. Even though the free books given by the Ministry of National Education reduce the burden of low-income parents, the supplementary books requested because they are insufficient bring an extra economic burden to the parents. While this situation causes a large sector related to supplementary books to be formed in Turkey, the expensiveness of this sector has become a heavy burden for parents.