Turkey's Largest Teachers' Union Boycotts Academic Progress Reports

Details of the Eğitim Bir-Sen Protest Decision

Eğitim Bir-Sen, recognized as one of the most influential educational unions in Turkey, has officially announced a protest action against the Ministry of National Education (MEB) directive regarding the mandatory completion of 'Student Progress Reports.' According to the decision by the union's central council, led by Ali Yalçın, middle and high school teachers will no longer be required to enter data into the relevant modules of the e-Okul system unless they choose to do so voluntarily [1].

This decision follows extensive reviews of teacher workloads at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Union officials emphasized that these reports have become an exhausting bureaucratic process rather than serving pedagogical goals [2].

Legal and Union Grounds for the Boycott

Provincial leaders of the union, including those in Antalya and Çorum, noted that forcing teachers to prepare these reports constitutes 'forced labor' (Angarya), which is prohibited under the Turkish Constitution. Eyüp Bülent Miran, president of the Antalya branch, stated that this practice violates teachers' right to rest and severely impacts their work-life balance [3].

The union claims this action is fully legal, citing international legal texts including International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO recommendations concerning the status of teachers. They believe teachers should spend their time improving the quality of education rather than filling out repetitive forms that have no real impact on student development [1][2].

Reactions and Consequences for the Education System

This protest, peaking in the final days of the school year, presents a new challenge for the Turkish Ministry of National Education. While the union has asked its members to avoid entering unnecessary information, there are concerns regarding gaps in student academic records at the end of the term [3].

However, Eğitim Bir-Sen remains firm in its position, declaring that the boycott will continue until the process is reformed into a voluntary activity or fundamentally simplified. This move signifies rising tensions between unions and government institutions over administrative reforms in the Turkish education system [2].