The "2023 Early Childhood Education Vision" will be discussed, as well as the studies carried out to expand and increase the quality of preschool education, which is among the top priority education policies of Türkiye in recent years, at the summit to be held in cooperation with UNICEF.

 

Education ministers of countries, academicians that have worked on early childhood education, regarding access, quality and inclusion, representatives of international organizations and NGOs, and education experts will attend the summit. The opening ceremony of the summit will be held with the participation of Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer and UNICEF Representative to Türkiye Regina De Dominicis.

 

The first panel of the International Early Childhood Education Summit will be held as part of the "Early Childhood Education Policies" under moderation of Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer and with the participation of education ministers from other countries.

 

Other panels will be organized with the participation of academicians who are experts on "Access and Financing in the Context of Equal Opportunity in Early Childhood Education" and "Quality and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education".

 

Underlining that as the Ministry, they attach great importance to the dissemination and quality of preschool education in order to strengthen equality of opportunity in education, Özer said that they have started working with the target of opening 3 thousand new kindergartens last year in order to increase the schooling rate in preschool education to the OECD average. Özer noted that in line with this purpose they have increased the number of kindergartens from 2 thousand 782 to 6 thousand 4. Stating that they have increased the schooling rate of the three year age group from 9 percent to 16 percent, four years old age group from 16 percent to 37 percent, and five year old age group from 65 percent to 99 percent, Özer emphasized that they will have the opportunity to share Türkiye's experiences in preschool education and to benefit from the experiences of other countries in early childhood education through the International Early Childhood Education Summit.