The Ministry of National Education continues its efforts to heal the wounds of the earthquake in many areas from search and rescue activities to shelter, hot meals to psychosocial support services in the regions affected by the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, which is described as the disaster of the century. Immediately after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake, the Ministry of National Education continues its support activities for the disaster victims in the provinces affected by the disaster.
search and rescue team
In his statement on the subject, Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer stated that as the Ministry, they started to work from the first day to extend a helping hand to the disaster victims, and said, "First of all, 4 thousand 526 teachers who formed the MEB AKUB team, the search and rescue unit of our Ministry, supported the search and rescue efforts in the debris in the region. In addition, 149 school health nurses participated in the search and rescue efforts. As of today, 2 MEB AKUB personnel in the region continue to support these efforts.” said. Özer also noted that a total of 216 thousand volunteer teachers have worked in support organizations in the region so far.
2 million hot meals daily
Stating that as the Ministry, they also provide basic food support to the citizens affected by the earthquake, Minister Özer shared the following information: “Right after the earthquake, 1 million hot meals were sent to the region from the surrounding provinces. In the following days, we distribute approximately 2 million hot meals prepared daily in vocational high schools, teachers' houses, practice hotels and mobile kitchens operating within the body of our Ministry to our citizens in 10 provinces. So far, we have delivered a total of 27 million 951 thousand hot meals to our citizens. Currently, 10 mobile kitchens and 97 mobile ovens are serving our citizens in 7 provinces in the earthquake zone.”
Noting that 1 million 800 thousand breads are produced every day in the bread factories established in vocational high schools six months ago, Minister Özer said, “This bread is also distributed to our earthquake victims in 10 provinces. So far, 26 million 570 thousand breads have been produced and distributed by our vocational high schools. In addition, 200 thousand food packages are distributed to the region daily.” used the phrases.
Tent, blanket and sleeping bags for earthquake victims from vocational high schools
Noting that the Ministry also provided shelter service support to the earthquake victims, Özer said, “From the first day, we opened our schools, hostels, teachers' houses and practice hotels for our earthquake victims. In the second week of the earthquake, we met the shelter needs of 465 thousand citizens. On the other hand, our vocational high schools, public education centers and maturation institutes started their production activities immediately by concentrating all their work in this field. In this context, the production of 1000 tents was started in the first stage to be shipped to the region, and 720 tents were delivered. Again, 76 thousand 241 sleeping bags and 115 thousand blankets were produced in vocational high schools, public education centers and maturation institutes and delivered to the region. In addition, 28 stoves were produced in our vocational high schools and distributed to our earthquake victims. 804 beds, 632 thousand ponchos, scarves and berets produced in vocational high schools were shipped to the region to be delivered to our citizens.
Özer noted that the production of 1.200 container classrooms equipped with solar panels was started by vocational high schools, and 50 of them were delivered.
Cleaning and hygiene
Stating that the Ministry of National Education also provided medical and hygiene support to the earthquake region, Özer said: “4.705.795 million 1 thousand hygiene kits consisting of 750 masks, disinfectants, colognes and liquid soap produced in our vocational high schools were delivered to the region. Production of 240 portable toilets was started by our vocational high schools and 90 of them were delivered to the region. Again, 25 thousand medical gowns and stretcher covers produced in vocational high schools and public education centers were sent to hospitals in the region.”
Özer also said that 500 solar-powered charging stations produced in vocational high schools have started to be shipped to the earthquake zone.
Psychosocial support to reduce the effects of negative emotions after the earthquake
Minister Özer pointed out that psychosocial support activities are carried out for all students, teachers and parents, especially in the provinces directly affected by the earthquake, and shared the following information: “We are establishing psychosocial support, play and activity tents for children in all tent areas and gathering places in 10 provinces affected by the earthquake. We have established 391 of them so far and we continue our work in 21 special training tents and 73 hospital classrooms. 4 psychosocial support kits and 267 million 1 thousand 159 Earthquake and Psychological Trauma information brochures were sent to the event tents. Preschool teachers, special education teachers and 408 guidance teachers/psychological counselors started to serve in these tents.”
Stating that psychological first aid activities for students, teachers and adults are carried out with the guidance teachers / psychological counselors working in the earthquake zone provinces, Özer said that 294 thousand 912 people were reached with these studies. Özer continued as follows: “Moreover, Psychological First Aid Program has been applied to 301 people, including students, parents, teachers and other citizens, who have been placed in dormitories, hostels and hotels in other provinces from the earthquake zone. Thus, psychological support services were provided to 750 thousand 596 students, teachers and adults in all our provinces.”
Minister of National Education Özer stated that within the scope of the Psychosocial Support Action Plan prepared to be implemented in the provinces outside the disaster area, teacher and parent training started in 71 provinces and said, “So far, 954 thousand 414 teachers and 3 million 425 thousand 502 parents have participated in these trainings. After the teacher and parent sessions are completed, an 'earthquake psychoeducation program' will be implemented within the scope of psychosocial support for pre-school, primary, secondary and high school students in 71 provinces. The program to be applied to the students; It consists of recognizing emotions, coping with emotions, security, instilling hope, self-esteem, social relations, and seeking help.” used the phrases.
Education kit was sent to earthquake victims
Minister Özer pointed out that the students in the earthquake zone and the students transferred from this region to other provinces provided all kinds of educational materials and said: “We do not want our students and their parents to worry about our students' books in any way during the earthquake. With 7,5 million textbooks and 5,5 million auxiliary resources, we started to deliver 130 thousand stationery sets to our students in the first place. In addition, we will have delivered all kinds of educational materials that our earthquake survivors students need, including stationery, until the date when our students will start their education. We continue to open DYK for our 8th and 12th grade students who want to prepare for LGS and YKS. We matched our measurement and evaluation centers located in 71 provinces outside the earthquake zone with the measurement and evaluation centers in the earthquake zone. These centers will also support the DYKs to be established for LGS and YKS preparations, and our teachers who will be assigned there on a voluntary basis.”
Hospital and Mehmetçik classes
Minister of National Education Özer stated that hospital classes will be opened in all hospitals in 10 provinces until March 1, and that 73 hospital classes have been opened so far, and noted that not only students who continue their treatment, but also children of healthcare workers can receive education from these classes.
Özer, on the other hand, stated that pre-school education tents, primary school and secondary school tents were set up and said that they opened "Mehmetçik Schools" in tent cities and container cities in 10 provinces in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, with the understanding of "continuing education under all conditions" in the earthquake zone.
Stating that they have started to create container classrooms in container cities, but they will build prefabricated schools there, Özer said that they will quickly open prefabricated schools in all container cities.