SURVEY REVEALS DRUGS AND PROBLEMS IN TURKISH SCHOOLS

Drug-abuse is common among students in one out of three high schools
in Istanbul and in one out of four schools in Izmir, a recent survey
conducted by teacher's union Egitim-Sen reveals.

Teacher's Union Egitim-Sen presented a survey it conducted among high
schools concerning the increasing number of violent incidents in
schools to the Parliament's Investigation Commission. The survey
conducted among 650 teachers in 250 Turkish schools revealed that in
the past year, narcotic drugs were found in 12 percent of the
schools, while synthetic pills with stimulant effects were found in
15 percent. The survey revealed that the percentage of schools where
psychoactive pills were found was much higher in bigger cities such
as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir as well as those in the Mediterranean
region. The survey found that pills were used in 26 percent of
schools while narcotic drugs were used in 12 percent. Drug usage was
encountered in one out of every three schools in Istanbul and one out
of every four in Izmir.

Punishing students: The survey found that administrators in 20
percent of the schools resort to cutting the student's hair as
punishment. The rate is 33 percent in Istanbul schools, 25 percent in
Ankara and 24 percent in state Anadolu high schools, where admission
is possible only after passing challenging examinations. Ten percent
of administrators and 18 percent of teachers in Turkey's schools walk
around carrying sticks.

Administrators walked with sticks most in vocational high
schools. Teacher violence against students was found in 39 percent of schools.

Violence in schools In the past year, 90.69 percent of students used
obscene language when addressing each other, 88.18 percent had been
in a fight while 88 percent smoked or were in possession of
cigarettes. In three out of every four schools in Turkey, children
fought outside the school and in one out of every four schools guns
or knives were involved in these fights. Violence involving guns or
knives occurred in 34.2 percent of Turkey's schools, with a frequency
of at least once a week in 5 percent of schools.

Verbal harassment of girls: Egitim-Sen's survey found out that 69.19
percent of male students verbally harassed girl students inside the
school in the past year. The percentage of students involved in
verbal threats or attacks on students from other schools was 75.37
percent while the percentage of students involved in physical threats
or attacks against students from other schools was 48.02
percent. 56.37 percent of teachers were insulted while 20.30 percent
were subject to physical threats from their students. 15.74 percent
of teachers said they were seriously attacked at least once by
students or by the families of students during their career.