Ei-iE

The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI) express their full solidarity with education workers, students, and their families in Türkiye following the recent tragic violence affecting schools.

Two gun attacks took place within 24 hours of each other at two schools in southern Türkiye. Sixteen people, mainly pupils, were injured in the first attack, which occurred on 14 April in the town of Siverek. The following day, a secondary school in the town of Maraş was the target of another shooting in which at least eight pupils and a maths teacher were killed, and several others were injured.

Education must take place in safe and supportive environments. Schools are public spaces where students have the right to learn without fear and education workers have the right to carry out their professional duties in security and dignity. Ensuring the physical and mental well being of education communities is a fundamental public responsibility.

ETUCE and EI stand firmly with their member organisation Eğitim Sen and fully support its decision to organise an extraordinary two day work stoppage, as well as the continuous “Vigil for Life” protest in front of the Ministry of National Education in Ankara. These actions reflect the urgency of the situation and the legitimate demand for accountability and effective measures to guarantee safe schools.

Violence in education cannot be addressed through security measures alone. Preventing such acts requires comprehensive public policies, effective prevention and support mechanisms, and genuine social dialogue with education trade unions.

Education is a public good and a fundamental human right. The international education trade union movement stands united with education workers in Türkiye and will continue to support their calls for safe, inclusive, and publicly supported education systems.

This statement was originally published on the ETUCE website.