Deputy Minister of National Education Bilal Macit attended the G20 Education Ministers' Meeting held in Fortaleza, Brazil. Representatives of G20 countries, the European Union, and the African Union, as well as invited countries and various international organizations, participated in the meeting, where school-community cooperation, capacity building for education personnel, and strengthening online learning platforms were discussed.

 

Speaking at the first session of the meeting, Deputy Minister Macit drew attention to the importance of education in achieving global peace by referring to the ongoing wars and conflicts currently taking place. Continuing his speech on the ongoing human tragedy in Gaza, Macit stated that children in the Gaza Strip have been deprived of education for over a year, that schools have been destroyed by Israeli attacks, and that women and children have been brutally massacred.

 

Deputy Minister Macit emphasized that more effective methods should be adopted in teaching social and emotional skills such as empathy, solidarity, tolerance, and justice, alongside values like human rights and democracy, on the path to achieving global peace and justice. He also explained how the Century of Türkiye Education Model will contribute to the acquisition of common values and social-emotional skills in students.

 

Speaking at the second session, Deputy Minister Macit addressed Türkiye's education policies and practices, providing participants with information about the National Education Academy, the FATİH Project, the Education Information Network (EBA), the Public Education Centers Information Network (HEMBA), and the Vocational and Technical Education Policy Document, as part of sharing Türkiye's best practices.

 

Deputy Minister Macit also held bilateral meetings with representatives from various countries and international organizations. During a meeting with Brazil's Deputy Minister of Education, Leonardo Osvaldo Barchini Rosa, the two sides exchanged ideas on possible activities to enhance educational cooperation between Türkiye and Brazil. Macit also expressed Türkiye's intention to establish a Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Center in Brazil.

 

In his meeting with Italy's Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, Macit discussed cooperation in the field of Turkish language and culture lessons and vocational education. Macit also met with Singapore's Deputy Minister of Education, Mohammad Maliki Bin Osman, and discussed the steps that can be taken to improve relations in the field of education and cooperation opportunities.

 

Finally, during a meeting with Deputy Minister Macit at the request of Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it was stated that the OECD intends to highlight Türkiye's successful investments in education as a model for other countries. In this context, the desire to organize an event in Türkiye was also expressed. Deputy Minister of National Education Bilal Macit was accompanied by Tuba Korkmaz, Director General for the European Union and Foreign Relations, during his meetings.