Private tutoring and inequitable opportunities in Turkey : challenges and policy implications

Abstract

This chapter considers private tutoring in relation to two national, high stakes selective examinations in Turkey, and the way these three interact in such a manner as to negatively impact the quality of education for all, as well as equity. Drawing on previously published research, the chapter focuses in particular on the influence of Private Tutoring Centres, and the way these collude with students and parents in developing strategies that seek to ensure success in entrance examinations. The chapter argues for the need to critically rethink the inequitable layers of educational structures, policies and practices prevalent within public education, pointing to the need for reforms that transform education into a meaningful enterprise for all social groups in Turkey.