By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Students of former terrorist-linked schools in Pakistan taken over by Turkey’s Maarif Foundation will get incentives, the Turkish education body announced on Monday.
“Tuition fee of the schools will be decreased by 20 percent for all students compared to the current levels of fees,” the foundation said in a statement.
On Thursday, the Maarif assumed the management of all education institutions in Pakistan once linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 failed coup in Turkey.
While all current Pakistani employees at the schools will continue their work, a performance-based incentive system will be established and scholarships and free education will be provided for successful students, the statement said.
A special “quota for scholarships will be allocated to orphans and high achieving economically disadvantaged students upon the approval of Pakistani authorities,” said the Maarif.
“Successful students will have the opportunity to study in Turkey for further education in the fields that Pakistan needs expertise at the level of undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate level with scholarships.
According to the higher education legislation in Turkey, as described in the statement, all students of the Maarif schools are exempted from tuition fees of state universities in Turkey.
Terror group banned
Last month, Pakistan's top court ordered the government to declare FETO and associated groups as outlawed and banned its affiliated schools in the country.
The court also ordered the government to hand over all these schools to the Turkish government.
The Supreme Court ordered the transfer of all FETO's “movable and immovable assets” at schools, colleges, education centers and other similar entities to the Marrif Foundation.
After the top court decision, Pakistan's Interior Ministry declared the Pak-Turk Cag Education Foundation a terrorist organization and banned its activities in the country.
Turkey Maarif Foundation “would like to assure the people of Pakistan, that the transfer of Pak-Turk Schools will prove to be a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards quality service provision in education,” said the foundation, adding that they are committed towards qualitative educational empowerment.
The foundation is currently operating 174 schools and two universities in 33 countries, sharing Turkey's experience in the field of education with the world.
Pakistani graduates of Pak-Turk schools will be guided in the selection process of the “most accomplished” higher education institutions in Turkey, it vowed in the statement.
Improving schools
The foundation will also invest to improve the physical and technical capacities of existing Pak-Turk schools in Pakistan. The conditions of the libraries and labs will also be improved and enhanced, while internships and training camps will be facilitated for Pakistani students in Turkey.
They also plan to conduct studies to improve the current curricula by “considering national and moral values of Pakistan as well as international standards”, while the capacities and conditions of current schools will also be increased.
“These commitments would be actualized with unprecedented support and contributions from the people of Pakistan, especially students, parents, teachers, administrative staff, researchers and institutional developers,” it stressed.
Dormitory capacities will be increased and free accommodation will be provided for successful students in the schools in order to ensure equal opportunities and education for all parts of society, it said.
It added that the new management of the Pak-Turk schools also plan to train talented students for international prestigious events and tournaments to reinforce the international visibility of the schools and students.
“The extracurricular activities that include scientific, cultural and social events, competitions as well as educational and motivational camps will be organized,” the statement noted.
These activities to be held in Pakistan, Turkey or in a third country aim to improve the students’ psychological, physical and scientific educational development, it added.
Defeated coup and schools abroad
Turkey established the Maarif Foundation in 2016 to assume the administration of overseas schools linked to FETO. It also establishes more schools and education centers abroad.
FETO and its U.S. based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, including the military, police and academia.
FETO has a considerable presence abroad, including private schools serving as a revenue stream for the terror group.
