Turkey Takes Action: 30,000 New Cleaning Staff Deployed to Combat Hygiene Crisis in Schools
Turkey to Employ 30,000 New Cleaning Personnel in Public Schools Amid Hygiene Concerns
Turkey’s Ministry of Education (MEB) has announced plans to employ 30,000 new cleaning personnel in public schools across the country, following widespread concerns about poor hygiene conditions since the start of the school year.
Minister Yusuf Tekin made the announcement during a television program, stating that the Ministry of Labor and Social Security would grant the right to employ the new personnel starting September 23. This move aims to address the shortage of cleaning staff, which has led to hygiene problems and staff shortages in many schools.
According to Tekin, the shortage of cleaning staff is attributed to limited applications to the Workforce Adjustment Programme, resulting in only 25% of available jobs being filled. Despite having 120,000 jobs available, the lack of demand has led to a significant shortage of cleaning personnel.
“We will resolve the issue with additional personnel next week,” Tekin said, emphasizing the government’s commitment to improving hygiene conditions in public schools. He also noted that 45,000 schools have permanent cleaning staff, while the remaining schools work with contractors.
The Ministry of Labor revised its cleaning staff pool allocations to three days a week instead of five days a week in 2024, which has contributed to the current shortage. Since the start of the school year on September 16, parents have been reporting hygiene problems and staff shortages across Turkey.
In one elementary school in Istanbul, piles of garbage have accumulated in the hallways, and parents have reported that there is no running water in the school. Parents have filed complaints with the CİMER presidential communication system, expressing their concerns about the hygiene and safety of the school.
One parent wrote to CİMER, ”The water is not running, and the faucets in the bathrooms are broken. Our children are constantly getting sick. We urgently need help on this matter.” Another parent stated, “The school is very poor in terms of hygiene and safety. I ask that the school be made suitable for the children.”
Parents have also reported that the head teacher had resigned due to the cleaning problems. In some schools, parents have been asked to clean the school themselves due to a shortage of cleaning staff. A parent who spoke to the daily Evrensel said, “The teachers called each parent individually, asking us to come to the school to clean. We are asked to pay for cleaning supplies and staff salaries, but again they tell us there is no budget, and we are expected to clean the school ourselves.”