Interviews to remain decisive in teacher appointments in Turkey: Minister

The interview process in teacher appointments in Turkey will continue, the Education Minister said, despite the ongoing debate surrounding its implementation.

During a live interview with CNN Turk TV, Minister Yusuf Tekin has announced that interviews will account for 50% of the evaluation criteria and will continue to play a pivotal role in teacher appointments. This decision comes as a surprise to many, considering President Tayyip Erdoğan's promise to eliminate the controversial interview process, which he introduced as one of his major election pledges. The interview process in Turkey has long been a subject of contention due to allegations of favoritism towards individuals aligned with the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party)

Addressing the adjustments and preparations made regarding interviews, Tekin expressed, "We have argued that selecting teachers solely through a multiple-choice exam is not the right approach. The teacher appointment process needs to be revised." Minister Tekin also announced that interviews will take place in 30 major cities across the country and emphasized, "During the interviews, we will ask candidates to teach a lesson. The interview performance and the results of the Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS) will carry equal weight in the appointment process."

He continued: “There has been much debate in the public about interviews. It seems like a narrative has been created as if interviews are the only aspect of teacher appointments. We have made adjustments and preparations regarding interviews. We believe that selecting teachers solely through a multiple-choice exam is not the right approach. The teacher appointment process needs to be revised. The issue is being presented as if interviews alone are the problem. The success rate of teachers in their subject area tests is low.”

Under the current system, teachers are appointed based on their KPSS score and interview performance. The Minister said they want to establish is a mechanism where the KPSS score and the interview performance are evaluated equally.

“Interviews will be conducted in 30 major cities, and during the interview, we will ask candidates to teach a lesson. In the appointment process, interview performance and KPSS results will have equal weight. Members of the interview committees will not have any information about the list of candidates they will be interviewing. They will not know which committee a candidate will appear before," he concluded.