Mehmet Derdiman resigns from teaching

Mehmet Derdiman, principal of the Kurcalı Turkish Minority Elementary School and President of the Thessalonica Private Pedagogy Institute Association, resigned from his duties and retired from teaching. Mehmet Derdiman issued his letter of resignation on 18 October 2011 to the Coordination of Minority Education and explained the relieving of his duties with no prior warning was the main reason behind his resignation.

Derdiman: The law on appointing Principals and Vice-Principals to Minority schools is not implemented transparently

In his press statement, Mehmet Derdiman said that he resigned from his career due to his respect to teaching. He explained that the law on the appointment of principals and vice-principals (Ministry of Education Law 3848/2010, Protocol 1098/106950/22) was not implemented transparently and thus made it very difficult for him and the school administration to fulfill their duties, and due to his respect for teaching and teachers, he chose to resign.

Derdiman continued to explain that the procedure on the election of Principals and Vice-Principals was never applied to Minority Schools and no one was summoned to the assigned commission. According to Derdiman, the candidate lists were never announced and no right for appeal had been given and the appointment of Minority Principals was always made in a coup fashion, despite the law and mandates.

President Habipoğlu: The autonomy for education has been destructed due to a variety of applications

President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe stated that: “According to the Treaty of Lausanne, The Turkish Minority of Western Thrace has a right for autonomy in education. However, certain applications of non transparent and compelling nature have turned minority education in to a mess. The juristic procedure on the appointment of Principals and Vice-Principals is a violation of law. Thus, Mehmet Derdiman has shown his reaction to these unjust and unlawful procedures and has resigned from his career”.

* Photo: Rodop Rüzgarı