"At least 442 thousand 625 children in Turkey –4 out of a 100 in the relative age group are left outside the educational system" says Reform in Education Initiative (ERG) in a recent report.

Researchers from Galatasaray, Sabancı and Bahçeşehir universities analyze data regarding disparities in education and revealed deep inequalities concerning socio-economic status of the family as well as regional and gender-based dispositions.

Titled "Inequalities in Education: Policy Analysis and Recommendations", the report reveals that the rich spend as much as 21 times more on education than the poor.

Pupils from poor families prefer attending vocational schools and multi-programme lycees while children of richer families attend general high schools, which is more likely to continue to higher education. 

According to the report, 15 percent of all children attending primary schools fail to receive a diploma. Seven out of ten pupils who fail to complete mandatory primary education are girls.

Only one out of two girls in rural areas of southeastern Turkey attend primary education. Girls in Istanbul are twice as likely to get education than those in the southeast.

Furthermore, the quality of the education is disputed. 32 percent of 15 year-olds can't understand what they read while 52 percent struggle to solve basic mathematical problems.

Researchers demand a stronger emphasis on achieving equality in education regarding national policy papers and strategies.

Increasing public resources for education and positive discrimination for the most impoverished regions are also important. The reports requests further efforts to narrow the quality gap between types of schools, generalizing pre-educational services.(BÇ/AGÜ)

* To reach ERG and to read the full report (in Turkish), please click on: www.erg.sabanciuniv.edu