The Minister of National Education Ömer Dinçer met with KAGIDER members on the 22^nd of October during a special dinner.

Dinçer mentioned that the preschool education schooling rate in Turkey was 43%, and that they were aiming to increase the rate to 100% by 2013. Ömer Dinçer told us that secondary education schooling rate was 69% and that they were aiming to increase this rate to 90%. He also added that once teacher and classroom numbers are high enough, that they will aim to increase compulsory education to 13 years. Dinçer stated that “We are planning to give teachers educational seminars on subjects like information technologies, literature and child care.”

Ömer Dinçer expressed that they wanted to work on models in which they more actively included the private sector; especially working to help post graduates find employment.

KAGIDER’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Gülden Türktan recalled that when Ömer Dinçer was the Minister of Labor and Social Security that they had worked together and that the project “Child Care Support for Working Women” in which KAGIDER had been effectively participating in made it to AKP’s declaration of election. They were therefore happy with Ömer Dinçer becoming the Minister of National Education.

Türktan who declared that the Ministry of National Education will be one of the foundations which will join KAGIDER’s Opportunity Equality Model added “We thank Minister Dinçer for the support he has given our project and to gender equality.”

Türktan made a request to include entrepreneurial lessons in high schools because entrepreneurship is fundamental women’s social and economic growth.