Education in Turkey for English Speaking Children

An examination of local and international schooling options available to parents of English speaking children going to live in Turkey

There are two main reasons why the demand for international schools in Turkey is growing and they are 1) because there are more expatriates than ever moving to live in Turkey with their children to enjoy the quality of life and the affordable cost of living, and 2) because the business environments in the likes of Istanbul and Ankara are rapidly expanding and attracting more international professionals who are moving with their families to live and work in Turkey.

The majority of demand for international schools comes from those looking at their options relating to education in Turkey for English speaking children and this article gives parents an idea of what’s available in terms of schools following the British national curriculum and the other alternatives that they have for the schooling of their children.

The first and most important thing to state is that in Turkey children are treated like mini-Gods!  They are generally so highly prized that their education is considered to be important by parents, teachers, local authorities and even the government meaning that the state of the education system in Turkey is under constant review.  All children, even those not born in Turkey have the right to a free state education for eight years in Turkey but because in many areas of the country the availability of decent teaching materials is limited due to affordability constraints, most expatriate parents prefer to send their children to be educated privately. 

In terms of international and English schools these are currently only available in the larger towns and cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya.  In Istanbul the British International School is a popular option with those seeking a good education in Turkey for English speaking children - it takes pupils from the age of two and a half up to eighteen and covers the ICSE and international baccalaureate qualifications.  Istanbul is also home to the International School which teaches a bilingual curriculum and which caters for Finnish, Korean and Spanish students too with specialist language classes for these nationalities.

In Izmir the Izmir Ozel Turk Lisesi has extensive educational programs in English, in Ankara parents have the choice of Bilkent University Preparatory School or Oasis International School and finally in the town of Antalya Ozel Antalya Kolegi teaches through the medium of English and German.

On a final note, those parents with children who are considering whether or not living in Turkey is a viable option for their family should think about the age of their child and whether or not they are young enough to adapt to the Turkish education system.  Generally speaking, if the child is over the age of about seven or the family is likely to move on again or repatriate before the child in question has finished their education, parents will have to look at the realities and practicalities of living close enough to an international school in Turkey and affording to send their child/ren to be educated there or leaving their children in a boarding school back in the UK or the original home country.