Milli Mücadele Döneminde Anadolu'da Eğitim Faaliyetleri

Abstract

After the First World War, Anatolian lands began to be occupied by the victors. The social, cultural and economic depression caused by the occupation has deeply affected the people of Anatolia at every moment of life. The education system was also affected by this crisis. Although each of the elements of teachers, students, schools and administrators in the system are affected from different aspects, the education system has generally disappeared partially. In this process, teachers could not receive their salaries regularly and therefore they began to leave the teaching profession. Teachers who remained in the profession, on the other hand, tried to make a living by doing additional work. The related situation has also led to the disappearance of the demand for the teaching profession. Schools were insufficient in number compared to the number of students in the mentioned period. Classrooms were not physically suitable for educational activities and there were not enough educational materials. The inadequacy of the course equipment and the unfavorable physical conditions directly affected the quality of education. In addition to all these, schools became the natural target of the occupation forces. Schools in many parts of Anatolia were raided by the occupation forces, the students inside were thrown out, and these places were started to be used as soldiers' accommodation and hospitals. Although primary school was compulsory in the relevant period, the number of students decreased over time due to the occupation conditions. The vast majority of school-age children left out of the education system. It was not possible to take these children into the system during the occupation. The Greek forces invading the Western Anatolian region caused the greatest damage to the Turkish/Muslim education system. This damage was done both by the Local Greek Administration established in Izmir and by the commanders of the occupation forces. Besides harming the Turkish/Muslim education system, efforts were made to develop and support the Greek education system.