Efforts to address the deficiencies in schools continue as Alayköy Primary School inaugurated new classrooms on Friday to accommodate the increasing number of students for the upcoming academic year.
Fifty years after it first began educating students, the Alayköy Primary School has received two new additional classrooms on Friday, thanks to contributions from the Ministry of National Education, Gönyeli-Alayköy Municipality, and philanthropist businesspersons.
The opening ceremony for the new classrooms, which will serve 368 students, took place today.
The event started with a band and dance performance prepared by the school’s students.
In his speech at the ceremony, Alayköy Primary School Principal Özden Ünbay highlighted the rapid growth in the area and the corresponding rise in student numbers, which necessitated the new classrooms.
Ünbay expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed, noting that the new classrooms were completed at an opportune time to meet a critical need and are ready for the new school year.
Gönyeli-Alayköy Mayor Hüseyin Amcaoğlu stated that the new classrooms exemplify successful cooperation between central government, local authorities, and the private sector. He added that the local government reform has allowed Alayköy to develop daily, enhancing the quality of life for its residents, and provided updates on ongoing projects in the area.
Minister of Economy and Energy Olgun Amcaoğlu acknowledged that state resources are not always sufficient for every need, emphasizing the importance of contributions from philanthropists and local governments to education. He noted that the benefits of the education provided in the new classrooms to the country are immeasurable, and praised the strengthened structure of municipalities enabled by local government reform.
Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu remarked on the evident budgetary constraints of the education ministry.
He stated, “Meeting the demands created by the irregular influx of population in such a short time is challenging. Our state is making planned investments, but due to the high needs in education, issues like overcrowded classes and insufficient facilities arise. Fortunately, as we embarked on our journey with the ‘build a school’ initiative, our people have demonstrated their generosity by using their resources to support students, just as they have historically supported their country.”
Çavuşoğlu highlighted that 25 school projects have been initiated over the past four years, with 17 of 22 schools completed and operational, five still under construction, and additional renovations and classroom expansions underway. He noted the increased motivation for contributions following the February 6 earthquake, thanking all contributors for their efforts.
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel stated that since coming to office, his government has worked to strengthen financial resources to enable investments.
Emphasizing the government’s vision to provide students with a comfortable learning environment, Prime Minister Üstel said, “There is a spirit of solidarity among our people, municipalities, and ministry. With this spirit, we have completed 18 schools in two years, making us the government that has built the most schools in 50 years.”
He also mentioned plans to transition to full-day education to improve educational quality, affirming that the government has fulfilled all its program promises.
Prime Minister Üstel thanked everyone who contributed to the addition of the two new classrooms at the school.
After the speeches, plaques were awarded to Kofalı Group, Sarıkaya Elektrik Ltd., Dört Yıldız Group, and Airkam Trading Ltd. for their contributions to the construction of the additional classrooms.
