In the aftermath of the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6, the Ministry of National Education is undertaking an extensive initiative to revitalize educational infrastructure in the region. Responding to the devastation that rendered approximately 12,000 classrooms unusable, the ministry aims to construct 22,039 new classrooms to address the aftermath of this seismic event.
Upon completion of the construction projects, the total number of classrooms in the earthquake zone, comprising 11 provinces, will witness a substantial surge from 119,200 before the earthquake to 129,120, reflecting an 8.3% increase.
This comprehensive endeavor aims to benefit around 3.7 million students and approximately 220,000 teachers affected by the catastrophic earthquakes.
Before the seismic activity, the 11 provinces harbored 119,200 classrooms, out of which 12,119 were severely, moderately or heavily damaged.
The ministry has successfully concluded maintenance and repair works for all educational buildings in need of rehabilitation in these provinces, with around 45,000 classrooms already restored and in operation.
A strategic plan has been devised by the ministry to construct nearly double the number of classrooms rendered unusable post-earthquake. The targeted construction involves 22,039 new classrooms with an estimated project cost of TL 62.6 billion ($2.06 billion) in the earthquake-stricken provinces.
As of the new academic year, 3,100 new classrooms have been completed and made available for student use. Container-based classrooms are also facilitating education for certain students. To address the urgency, the ministry has outlined plans for around 2,061 steel-structure classrooms, with 1,000 classrooms expected to be ready for use at the beginning of the spring academic year.
The 2023 State Investment Program encompasses 103 projects, incorporating various facilities such as school buildings, hostels, teachers' houses, guidance research centers, public education centers, special education and guidance research centers, hostels and gyms. This program involves the construction of 1,542 classrooms in earthquake-prone provinces.
Furthermore, the 2023 provincial construction program outlines 1,068 projects that encompass the construction of 16,776 classrooms, spanning kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools in earthquake provinces.
With additional support from charitable contributions, the ministry aspires to realize its ambitious plan of completing the construction of 22,039 classrooms in the earthquake zone, ensuring their availability for the commencement of the 2024-2025 academic year.
