e-International Journal of Educational Research

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the applications regarding coeducation during The Second Constitutional Era.
Method: The methodology adopted during the study was survey model. Within this regard, a documents analysis on coeducation applications and legal regulations was conducted. Data for the study were collected from periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals etc.) belonging to the Second Constitutional Era.
Findings: According to the results of the study, elementary schools (ibtidai) substituted for the Ottoman Primary Schools (sıbyan) during the reign of Abdülhamid II (1876-1909). Moreover, “Tedrisat-ı İbtidaiye Kanun-ı Muvakkatı” was put into practice on 6 October 1913 when Şükrü Bey was the Minister of Education. In addition, according to the 8th article of the related law, elementary schools were to be established in every district of the Empire including villages. The law also indicated that a common elementary school had to be set up between nearby villages. Moreover, it was compulsory to establish a school for girls in the districts with the girl student population more than 50. By the law, the schooling age was set at seven, and children had to attend school until the age of 16. In addition, the duration of education at the coeducation schools could be reduced to 4 years with the permission of the Local Educational Commission (Kaza Maarif Encümenleri).
Conclusion: The results of the current study also indicated that the total number of coeducational elementary schools were 477 out of 4486 elementary schools during the 1913-1914 teaching year, which means that the coeducational elementary schools consist of 10 % of all elementary schools. Besides, it is also apparent that most of the coeducational elementary schools were located in Samatya, Istanbul in 1911. Moreover, during the 1913-1914 teaching year there were public elementary schools in the provinces and the districts of İstanbul, Edirne, Adana, Ankara, Aydın, Hüdavendigar, Sivas, Trabzon, Konya, Ma'muratü'l-Aziz, Izmit, Bolu, Teke, Canik, Çatalca, Karesi, Kal'a-i Sultaniye ve Bitlis. Among these provinces and the districts most of the coeducational elementary schools were situated in Edirne and Hüdavendigar. During the same period, there were also private elementary schools in the provinces and districts of Istanbul, Edirne, Ankara, Aydın, Hüdavendigar, Sivas, Trabzon, Kastamonu, Konya, Ma'muratü'l-Aziz, Urfa, Izmit, Teke, Canik, Karesi, Kal'a-i Sultaniye ve Bitlis. Most of the private coeducational elementary schools were located in Kastamonu, Hüdavendigar and Sivas among all provinces and the districts.
The current study also highlighted the articles of such instructors and intellectuals as Kazım Nami and Halide Edip regarding coeducation applications in the periodicals and magazines of Tedrisat Mecmuası, Türk Yurdu and Musavver Mektep.