Schooling Activities in and Around Izmir in the First Years of the Republic (1923-1928)

Abstract

The modernization efforts in education, which started with the Tanzimat, were interrupted due to financial inadequacies, the scarcity of trained education staff and the world war. Immediately after the First World War, invasions began in Anatolia with the Armistice of Mudros. İzmir and its surroundings, which became the symbol of the National Struggle period, had a special importance in terms of setting an example for other provinces with the developments in the field of education. The schooling rates in Izmir and its surroundings in the first 5 years of the Republic, covering the years 1923-1928, constitute the subject of our study. The number and rates of primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, teacher schools, vocational and technical education schools in İzmir and its surroundings have been tried to express the distance covered in the name of schooling. The occupation of İzmir and its surroundings during the years of national struggle, which prepared the foundation of the period that constitutes our study subject, caused great destruction in education as in every field. With the victory of the National Struggle and the proclamation of the Republic, the educational legacy inherited from the Ottoman Empire was tried to be modernized and developed. Between 1923-1928, existing institutions were repaired, new educational institutions were opened and teacher assignments were realized. Great effort was made to spread primary, secondary, high school and teacher schools throughout the region, where formal education was given great importance. Realizing national and central education has become an education policy. It is possible to see the products of the education policies and education investments implemented in Izmir and its surroundings with the effort made between the years 1923-1928, on the Educational Map of the 1931-1932 Education Year in the archive. In the five-year period between 1923-1928, the educational activities and schooling rates of İzmir and its surroundings were given and the point reached was tried to be determined. While the study was conducted, the data of the Republic Archive, Statistics magazines and copyrighted works were examined.