Shocking numbers: 3.5 million children outside formal education in Türkiye

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Data for the 2025-2026 academic year revealed shocking numbers regarding the situation of children and youth in the Turkish education system, as the number of groups who do not receive direct formal education, according to a calculation methodology that includes those not registered in educational institutions in addition to those enrolled in alternative educational paths, is close to 3.5 million children and youth.

According to the latest statistics issued by the Turkish Ministry of Education, the number of children not registered in any educational institution is about one million and 934 thousand children. This number rises to about 3 million, 478 thousand and 325 children when students registered in the open education system and vocational training centers (MESEM) are added to them.

These numbers come at a time when data from the Turkish Ministry of National Education show a clear disparity in enrollment rates between educational levels, with lower rates recorded at the secondary level compared to the primary and middle levels.

According to the latest statistics of the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) for the academic year 2025-2026, the enrollment rate in primary education for the age group from 6 to 9 years reached 98.46%.

In the middle education stage, for the age group from 10 to 13 years, the enrollment rate reached 98.16%, while the percentage decreased further in the secondary stage for the age group from 14 to 17 years, to reach 87.09%.

These rates indicate a difference between enrollment rates at different educational levels, with the gap widening further upon reaching the secondary stage.

These data coincide with the numbers related to students who are outside daily school education, whether due to not enrolling in an educational institution or due to their transfer to other educational paths.

The educational scene is not limited to students enrolled in regular schools, as the Ministry’s data shows the presence of large numbers of students in the open education system.

According to official data, the number of students registered in open education institutions reached 1,051,493 students during the academic year 2025-2026.

Open education differs from regular, daily school education, as it allows students to continue their education through an educational system different from regular school attendance.

This category constitutes an essential part of the total number of children and youth outside direct formal education.

In addition to open education, the Turkish education system includes the path of vocational training centers (MESEM), which provides students with a path that combines education and vocational training.

Circulating data indicate that there are about 492,227 students in vocational training centers during the academic year 2025-2026.

As for the secondary stage, the official enrollment rate for the age group from 14 to 17 years is 87.09%, compared to 98.46% in the primary stage and 98.16% in the intermediate stage.

This means that a portion of students in the secondary age group does not appear in regular school education in the same way as students in the younger educational levels, whether due to non-enrollment or transfer to other educational tracks, according to statistics from the Ministry of Education.

These data shed light on the transformations that students’ educational path witnesses as they age, and the role that open education and vocational training pathways play alongside regular schools.

The Turkish Ministry of National Education provides detailed data in its annual statistics on the numbers of students, enrollment rates, and types of educational institutions, in addition to the numbers of students enrolled in different education tracks.

The data for the academic year 2025-2026 comes among the latest official statistics related to education in Turkey, as it provides a picture of the volume of participation in the educational system and its various paths, at a time when the secondary stage stands out as the stage that records the lowest enrollment rate among the three basic educational stages.