MUSIC TEACHER IN ISTANBUL INVESTIGATED FOR IMPOSING MUSIC CLASS ON STUDENTS

MEMRI, DC
l/en/4162.htm
Dec 18 2007

As Turkish Ministry of Education files lawsuit against piano virtuoso
Fazil Say for making "false statements" about music education being
neglected in Turkey, the biggest daily Hurriyet disclosed today that
a successful music teacher in Istanbul has faced investigations
and removal from his position due to accusations by the school
administration that he forces students to learn music.

In his two years at Fatih Girls’ High School, the music teacher
Muslum Akdemir has taught 700 students to play an instrument, has
built a one-thousand-singers-strong choir and has brought the school’s
folk dancers to number one place in Turkey. At the beginning of the
current academic year he was told by school administration to search
for another position as there was no interest shown by the students
for music education in his school. Akdemir complained to Fatih
district’s director of national education who told him that their
investigation found no student interest in music, but if students
applied in writing to his directorate expressing interest, music
classes would be reinstated. Upon learning about this, 250 students
sent letters but this time the teacher was accused for forcing these
students to demand music education.

At this time, the school administration received an unsigned letter
stating that Akdemir was of the same kind as [the murdered Armenian
journalist] Hrant Dink, and that he was engaged in Armenian and Alevi
propaganda by teaching their tunes. A second file of investigation
is opened against Akdemir.

Haldun Ozkan of the Teachers’ Union said that Fazil Say was correct in
his assertions that music and art education is rejected and teachers
are intimidated and threatened in Turkey.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress