A Traveling Teacher’s Perspective on the Education Systems of 10 Countries Across the Globe

Şahin Çevik is a classroom teacher. He has visited 28 different countries since 2010 to examine the education systems of other countries and take a look at the structure of schools. Şahin Çevik, also known as the Traveler Teacher, tries to present an effective perspective with what he observes and examines during these trips.

He is currently an administrator at a private school. His next stop is Singapore. He will go to Singapore in July. I am sharing a compilation of some notes taken by Teacher Traveler about the 10 countries and education systems he has visited so far. All of his notes from here you can reach.

1) South Africa

After his visit to the Pretoria Boys School, from which Elon Musk graduated, and his class, Teacher Traveler describes the education there as follows: “This school has a deep-rooted tradition, clear rules, and a structure that focuses on the student and the student’s abilities; It develops each student regarding their abilities and enthusiasm. The most important educational goal of the country is to ensure peace and balance between blacks and whites.”

2) England

Traveler Teacher first goes to England for language education in London. Afterwards, he visits frequently for both himself and the students. What they did not observe while studying language here and what they shared about the structure of the country are as follows; “It is one of the most important education exporting countries in the world, with its individual-centered social structure and very strict rules.” Çevik states that we can only say that foreign language courses constitute the most important tourism and economic income of the country. When we look at the education at school, he states that his teachers have autonomy and that he observes that homework is the focus of the education system.

3) India

One of Çevik’s stops is India, one of the most populous countries in the world. Traveler Teacher conveys his observations about education in India as follows: “The primary purpose of education is to clear the remnants of the caste system… Numerous foundations and associations are working to improve the rights of women and children. Barefoot College operates with the support of one of these foundations, and in my opinion, it is one of the most effective schools in the world.”

4) Cuba

One of the countries that many travelers want to visit is Cuba. According to Seyyah Teacher, the revolution (1959) and socialism in Cuba directly affected the structure of schools. He says that Cuba, which has the highest school attendance rate in the world, is due to the low socio-economic level of the people and the fact that the state meets all the needs of the students (health, nutrition, clothing, etc.) through schools.

5) Iran

Çevik says that, like Cuba, the impact of the revolution (1979 revolution) was immediately observed in Iran, but since it was the Islamic revolution, everything was redesigned based on religion. What Teacher Traveler shared from his notes: “Every individual educated in public schools undergoes a strict religious education, and neighborhood imams control this education. At the lower levels, the Persian Empire has been removed from the history books because the Persian Empire was not Muslim. Policy is transforming schools around the world.”

6) Thailand

Seyyah Teacher’s notes are briefly as follows: “The country’s most important source of income is the service sector. After high school, education largely shifts towards the service sector. University graduation rate is low. They do not have a strong industry because the technical schools are weak. The king and his family are very important. The most important educational goal of the country is; Loyalty to the king!”

7) Belgium

Çevik explains his impressions about Belgium as follows: “Belgium stands out as a mixed multinational society that could not be like France but could not be like the Netherlands either. We can say that the education systems of Europe are almost the same, except for northern Europe. The education system in Belgium is parallel to countries such as France and the Netherlands. “Religious and race-based measures and especially measures against immigrants stand out… We can call it a classical European education system.”

8) France

When Teacher Traveler turns his route to France, he shares the following comments with us: “The most important aim of the French education system is to Frenchify society. Only 1/3 of the population of 60 million is French. It is a very important country in fields such as philosophy, science and law…”

9) Brazil

When the Traveling Teacher visits South America, he lands in Brazil, one of the largest countries on the continent. There is the following information he shared with us about Brazil: “Brazil’s biggest problems are unemployment and crime. So much so that even the police cannot enter some neighborhoods of Rio. The average education level is very low. Managers constantly come to the fore with corruption scandals. Protecting natural life (Amazon Forests) as a matter of state policy is a very famous issue and all of the subjects I mentioned above have an important place in the curriculum. On the other hand, it is a very conservative country…”

10) Argentina

Another stop in South America is Argentina, famous for its tango! The notes he shared with us about Argentina include the following: “South American states have always had dreams of getting rid of Spanish and Portuguese colonies and establishing their own existence. It is possible to encounter many influences from the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in this country. During my trip, I met the Zapp family from Argentina. This family has been traveling the world for 18 years, their children were born on the road and never went to school. The Zapp family’s children speak more languages ​​than school-going children. Almost each of them can speak 3-4 languages. He has serious ideas about nature. I recommend you research the story of this family. “It was interesting to me.”

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