Discussions in the Process of Transition to Co-education in Turkey.

Being one of the education reforms of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Co-education has been realized based on the logic that science does not have gender. After the proclamation of the law of Uniformity in education, all the Turkish educational institutions, primary and secondary schools, high schools and universities passed on to co-education in 1924; thus, girls and boys had the right to study together. However, as in all reforms, it has been rather challenging to orient society towards co-education. In our study, this educational transformation that Ataturk's Turkey experienced in 1924 will be analyzed by means of archival documents, newspapers and memoranda and parliament speeches of the period. In addition, model applications from the schools of the period will be presented. The aim of this study is to present Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's attempts to raise awareness in society; prove his rejection of gender segregation in the fields of education and science; and reveal his attempts to raise the status of women- the fundamental component of society - who was ignored until his time. To this end, the study will provide evidence for society's learning and implementation of the concept of equality between men and women with the assertion that the upbringing of man and woman side by side is only possible by means of modern education. Evidently, Ataturk's model of a new education system for the new country he founded will be analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]