New Era for Project Schools in Türkiye with Revamped Regulation

Ankara, Türkiye – The Ministry of National Education (MEB) has ushered in a new era for "project schools" with the official adoption of the "Ministry of National Education Project Schools Regulation". This significant reform, effective July 12, 2025, categorizes project schools into two distinct types: "schools implementing special programs" and "schools implementing special projects."

The regulation aims to establish the procedures and principles for identifying official formal education institutions that operate national or international projects and implement programs or themes set forth by the Ministry, either directly or through protocols with various organizations.

Key Criteria for Project School Designation

With the new regulation, to be designated as a project school, an educational institution must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Possess the capability to prepare and implement sustainable projects that contribute to the development of the school and its students.
• Commit to implementing a school development project.
• Implement special programs or projects at a national or international level.
• Develop projects in collaboration with the public or private sectors.
• Be a vocational and technical secondary education institution that operates as a sectoral center of excellence determined by the Ministry.

"Schools Implementing Special Programs"

These schools will offer unique and goal-oriented education programs designed to specialize students in specific areas and equip them with relevant knowledge and skills. They will provide in-depth education in disciplines like science and technology, with curricula and teaching methods specifically tailored to the field's requirements, differing from standard education programs.

Key features of "schools implementing special programs" include:

• Infrastructure Requirements: Buildings must have at least 20 classrooms, sufficient workshops, laboratories, specialized subject classrooms, an art studio, a music classroom, a library or "z-library," a school sports hall, outdoor sports areas, a conference hall, housing, and separate dormitories for male and female students with capacity for all students.
• Class Sizes: Student numbers in branches will not exceed 24, with a maximum of 4 branches per class level.
• Advisory Teachers: For every 8 students in each branch at every class level, an advisory teacher will be assigned.
• R&D Unit: A "School R&D Unit" will be established to enhance educational activities through research and development, project education, measurement-evaluation, and monitoring. This unit will be chaired by the school principal and comprise a coordinator determined by the patron, and 3 to 6 teachers selected by the principal.
• Commercialization of IP: Intellectual and industrial property rights obtained from R&D activities will be marketed and commercialized according to relevant regulations.
• Advisory Board: An advisory board will be formed to achieve targeted success, with representatives from the provincial municipality and the chamber of commerce and industry invited as needed.
• Student Admission: Students wishing to attend these schools must rank within the top 1% nationwide in the Ministry's central examination and successfully pass a special exam administered by the school or the Ministry, aligned with the specific program.
• Residential Requirement: For these schools, all students will be required to be boarders.
• Academic Performance: Students must achieve an annual score of at least 70 in special program-specific courses and at least 50 in other courses. The arithmetic average of annual success scores must be at least 70 for direct promotion. Students failing to meet this or due to absenteeism will repeat the year, with a maximum of one repetition during secondary education (excluding preparatory class).
• Assessment: Written exams will not be conducted for special program area courses. Evaluation will be based on a process-oriented approach, considering work done throughout the term, and will be project and performance-based.
• Skill Development and Proficiency Exams: Applied Skill Development Assessment Exams (BGDS) will be held at the end of the preparatory, 9th, and 10th grades for special program area courses. An Area Proficiency Exam (AYS), covering area courses from preparatory, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade levels, will be administered at the end of the 11th grade. Students scoring below 70 on the AYS will be considered unsuccessful and transferred to a suitable school based on their base score and parental preference.
• Graduation Requirements: Students must prepare and present a graduation thesis related to a topic of interest under the guidance of an advisor, complete at least 60 hours of social responsibility activities, and obtain certificates from at least 120 hours of distance or in-person education modules. Failure to complete these by the end of the first semester of the 12th grade will result in loss of attendance rights and transfer to another school.
• Diploma Score Calculation: The diploma score will be determined by 80% of the student's average annual success score, 10% of the average Skill Development Assessment Exam scores, and 10% of the Area Proficiency Exam score.

"Schools Implementing Special Projects"

These schools will adopt a project-based approach focused on developing research, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. All teachers and students will actively participate in sustainable growth-oriented projects. The aim is for students to gain competencies in collaboration, responsibility, and self-managed learning by producing original projects across various disciplines and translating theoretical knowledge into practical application. With the new regulation, the active involvement of schools and district/provincial directorates of national education in the process of designating schools that implement special projects has been formalized.

To ensure a more effective application process, a data-driven approach has been established through the creation of “Provincial Project School Evaluation Commissions” and “Provincial Project School Proposal Commissions” within provincial education directorates, as well as the “Ministry Project School Designation Commission” under the relevant departments of the Ministry.

To determine whether schools implementing special projects continue to meet the qualifications of a project school, they will be monitored annually by their affiliated provincial directorates of national education and will undergo evaluation by the relevant directorate-general every two years.

Historical Context and Future Outlook

The project school initiative was first launched by the MEB on March 14, 2014, with prestigious institutions like Istanbul Erkek Lisesi and Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi. Over time, the number of such schools expanded to 2,153. The new regulation signals a significant restructuring, with an anticipated reduction in the total number of project schools. For this purpose, the focus will now shift towards continuous monitoring of their success and stricter admission and progression criteria.

This comprehensive new regulation underscores the Ministry's commitment to enhancing the quality of education and fostering excellence within specific educational pathways across Türkiye.

Sources: 

https://www.meb.gov.tr/mill-egitim-bakanligi-proje-okullari-yonetmeligi-yururluge-girdi/haber/37763/tr

https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/nuran-cakmakci/2-bin-okul-yeniden-duzenleniyor-proje-okullarda-yeni-donem-42874895