By Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The recent new school year's kickoff in Turkey has been roiled by controversial textbooks in which the Evolution Theory has been largely removed to give way to a more religious and conservative education, a move criticized by secular circles.
Education policy has for a long time been contentious in Muslim Turkey, and once again, especially since the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, came into power some 15 years ago.
Erdogan has said frequently that he wants to raise a more "pious generation." Courses on Islam have become compulsory in 2012 following an education overhaul.
Since then, religious vocational school, known as Imam Hatip, are on the rise though their academic success leaves a lot to be desired, according to official data.
The new curriculum, defined by a group of experts at the Ministry of Education, includes more classes on religion, an introduction to the general concept of Jihad (holy war in the Quran) and less time allocated to learn about Turkey's secular founding father Kemal Ataturk.
The religion-oriented curriculum prompted a political and social firestorm before the start of the school year on Sept. 18 for some 18 million students.
The secular opposition and the civil society claim that Erdogan and his government are trying to reshape the society in a more conservative and religious way.
Following criticism, Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz announced that the Theory of Evolution of Charles Darwin will be removed from secondary school books, as to avoid "confusing children, because it is too hard to learn."
"We have cleansed school books from repetitive subjects, that is all. The accusations are groundless. We have prepared scientific and contemporary curriculum," he told reporters on Friday, adding that the changes were made in accordance to public perceptions.
Some 189 million textbooks will be distributed free to students across Turkey next week.
Alparslan Durmus, head of curriculum of the Education Ministry, rejected criticism on the contentious chapters, arguing that the new curriculum "is in line with the constitution and various education laws."
Other controversial changes include teaching children "to obey your husband" and "do not marry an atheist or a convert," meaning people who left the Muslim faith for another religion, according to press reports.
Turkish students will learn from the textbooks that "the earthquake is a way for God to test his servants" and the books have also devoted a large chapter to the failed coup of July 2016 aiming to topple Erdogan.
Turkish parents and academics have voiced concerns about the new changes, fearing that schools will not be able to highlight scientific knowledge to young minds. The controversial revision stipulates also that school must have worship rooms.
"I do not understand why learning more about Ataturk or the Evolution Theory is detrimental to our kids, on the contrary, science should be a beacon of light for them throughout their life," Leyla, a 36-year-old mother of two in the residential Yildiz district of Ankara, told Xinhua.
"Instead of teaching prayers to 10-year-old children, they should teach them to be polite to others, to greet them by a 'good morning', this is more important," said Leyla.
Some teachers unions such as the secular Egitim-IS, Turkey's biggest teachers union, have denounced the changes.
"We do not want a curriculum which denies Ataturk. What we want is a secular and scientific education in our country for our children," said Mehmet Balik, head of the Union, arguing that the revision is ideological.
"How can you not teach the Evolution Theory in schools? We are already lagging behind in academic success compared with Western countries, this revision will only drag Turkey further down in global ranking," he pointed out.
Some 160,000 people have signed a petition online on Saturday, demanding authorities to restore all previous chapters of Ataturk in schoolbooks.
Main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who slammed the ruling AKP of having caused the "collapse" of the education system in Turkey, called for a broad scientific seminar on the issue soon.
Bulent Tezcan, spokesman of CHP, accused the government of imposing a "backward curriculum" in schools.
Describing the changes as "unacceptable," Orhan Saribal, a CHP lawmaker said the new curriculum is "a defiance to the secular and scientific education" and that the ruling party was identifying itself with Ottoman history rather than with the republican history, which was initiated in 1923 with Ataturk's major reforms.
Lale Karabiyik, another CHP MP, said the government's contentious measure had only consulted some pro-government teachers unions.
On the other hand, Erdogan's supporters hail the changes, saying that the AKP is founding a "new Turkey."
"I want my children to study their religion in schools. We live in a Muslim nation, it is only natural that schoolbooks contain proper material of Islam," said Bulent Kara, a father who came to visit his children's new school in Ankara.
"If children are taught the right Islam in school, we will not have to worry about perverted minds who create such things like the Islamic State," said Bulent Kara.
A series of progressive reforms have also been adopted in recent years like offering Kurdish and other minority language elective courses in schools.
