Rebuilding Education in Hatay, Türkiye: Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Post-Earthquake Recovery

This article is part of our collaboration with International Policy Review at IE University. Photo Credits: Getty Images

Abstract

On February 6 and 20, 2023, devastating earthquakes struck southern and central Türkiye and northern Syria. These earthquakes resulted in high fatalities and catastrophic infrastructural damage. Hatay was one of the most affected provinces and faced severe educational disruptions: schools were destroyed, students were displaced, and access to quality education was restricted. These circumstances entrenched pre-existing societal inequalities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as low-income students, displaced children, and students with disabilities. This policy report explores institutional and policy frameworks to enable an effective and equitable educational recovery in Hatay. It argues that post-disaster education policies should go beyond reconstruction projects and seek a progressive approach. Structural inequalities should be addressed through inclusive strategies, aiming for long-term resilience. Combining a coordinated multi-level governance with sustainable support mechanisms, Hatay can be “built back better”, ensuring that education in the region thrives even more inclusive, resilient, and accessible than before.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Goal 4, Earthquake, Hatay, Education, Recovery, Inclusiveness, Equity

1. Introduction

The fourth pillar of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) accounts for “quality education” , that is to say, the “provision of an inclusive and equitable quality education sets the ground for the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education stands as a basic universal right, promising as it has the potential to crowd out entrenched inequalities and ensure broader sustainable development. Yet, the notion of “quality education” is not to be confused with a generic definition for education, as it takes into account the interplay of countries’ economic, socio-political and cultural circumstances. UNICEF lays out the premises for a quality education through a five-dimensional approach, addressing the conditions of the learner, environment, content, educational agents and processes, and outcomes. For instance, the health and readiness of the learners to learn, as well as the safety and sanity of the environment are deemed essential, suggesting that quality education cannot be realised without the establishment of pro-education facilities. This was followed by the emphasis on the relevance of educational content for the learners and the necessity of well-organised teaching processes, that would then yield into skill and knowledge-driven outcomes. Building on the interdependence of these premises, the provision of quality education is a result of quality components that should be separately respected.

However, integrating these five dimensions is a challenging task, which becomes even more complex in emergency situations where educational disruptions occur. During the post-disaster period, the critical role of education becomes even more apparent. This education not only serves as a psychosocial and mental health support for students but also as a guarantee against dropouts by endorsing the integration of students. Yet, insufficient development of educational infrastructure results in harsh schooling interruption.

In the context of the catastrophic earthquakes on February 6 and 20, 2023, Hatay was among the most affected Turkish provinces. Urban infrastructure destruction and extensive civil damage profoundly affected education, urging an effective crisis management for the decision-makers and political actors. This policy report will reveal strategies to revitalize inclusive and equitable quality education in Hatay, bearing in mind that no child is to be left behind or deprived of quality education in the post-disaster period.

2. Contextual Background: Reflections on the Earthquake and Socio-Political Reactions

A significant part of Türkiye’s territory is located in one of the world’s major seismic zones called the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt. Given the influence of the Eurasian, African and Arabian plates, the country has a highly active tectonic structure.

On February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes, respectively of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6, struck southern Türkiye and Syria. The earthquakes occurred nine hours apart along the East Anatolian Fault Zone, making the Türkiye-Syria the strongest earthquake doublet ever recorded in continental strike-slip fault systems. The seismic impact originated from the Pazarcık district in Kahramanmaraş province and then was followed by aftershocks. On February 20, 2023, another earthquake of 6.4-magnitude occurred in Hatay province, which led to severe devastation.

Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) informed that the overall earthquake sequence directly affected 11 Turkish cities within an area of 100,000 km2, accounting approximately for 14 million affected people. Tens of thousands of buildings collapsed, neighbourhoods were entirely eradicated, thousands of people were obliged to evict their houses. The emotional landscape of the nation was devastated for weeks, as citizens expressed amply their agony and mourning, translating into a strong collective sense of solidarity. On the other hand, the slow-paced actions of the government and the unsubmitted resignation of socially and financially “responsible” authorities escalated the tensions. Government-led rescue teams were coupled with NGOs, other benevolent organisations and willing citizens, who supported the region with their physical aid and equipment supply.

The massive number of collapsed buildings suggested that enough seismic measures were not taken for better ductility. Infrastructural damage, coupled with the unsatisfactory governmental response post-earthquake, seemed to pose a menace to President Erdoğan’s continuous hold on power. Yet, the turnout of the 2023 Turkish presidential elections pointed out that Erdoğan’s image as a strong leader persisted, supported by the pro-government media bloc.

Erdoğan’s media coverage primarily focused on his post-earthquake discourse. This discourse was based on his disaster relief promises, bid for temporary shelter provision on a large-scale and financial aid for victims. However, public opinion had contradicting opinions about the fulfillment of this promised aid. Pro-government media exalted the success of reconstruction projects post-earthquake, by broadcasting images of completed and ongoing reconstruction sites. Yet, the opposition media contended that media coverage is partial and that most projects are significantly lagging or delayed. Going beyond reconstruction projects, other unresolved issues persisted in the social sphere.

On a broader scale, there is a strong correlation between a society’s vulnerability (their response to the exposure of hazards) and the damages suffered by natural disasters. Türkiye’s vulnerability was a result of previously inadequate policy regulations, lacking sufficient oversight and enforcement of reconstruction practices, as well as outdated social policy practices ranging from education to elderly care provision. Within the scope of this report, the educational damage of the earthquake in Hatay province will be examined.

2.1 Background: The Educational Impact of the Earthquake

Among collapsed buildings, many of them were indeed schools, resulting in a significant displacement of students. The relocation process was particularly challenging, as Hatay was a densely populated region, home to 10% of Türkiye’s children in compulsory education -approximately half a million.

Essentially, issues concerning the deficiency of educational facilities in Hatay had been raised prior to the start of the new academic year, but they were left unanswered due to the mass of other uncertainties. Given the impossibility of rebuilding all damaged schools or completing all repairing projects before September, specific educational adjustments were made. These regulations included merging the students from other schools into a more stable one, or conducting simultaneous repairing projects while students were attending the school full-time. Despite overcrowded classrooms and an increase in instructors’ shifts, educational disruptions couldn’t be avoided entirely. Given the lack of school services or efficient public transportation, no explicit services were provided for student’s transportations to school. As a result of this lack of means seven months later, almost three in every ten earthquake-affected households were reported to have no access to education and a third claimed that they were facing hardship in financing their children’s education.

On the other hand, post-disaster psychological trauma leads to attention deficits, chronic sleep deprivations, newly emerged fears and phobias for both students and instructors, hindering access to education. Pushing these mental disorders into the background would result in a negligence for adequate supply and eventually delay the targeted educational integration. It should also be noted that the mourning within households is present and all family members, despite their age, are susceptible to emotional distress. This ongoing agony manifests itself within the classroom, affecting both the educational agents and students. All in all, the fulfilment of the sustainable development goal of “quality education” would be obstructed. In order not to hinder the provision of an inclusive and equitable quality education, effective actions should be taken.

2.2 Temporary actions for educational purposes

The unprecedented nature of the educational disruption prompted public authorities to plan an educational provision of a bigger scale. Within weeks of the disaster, the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and humanitarian partners cooperated to provide continuity and, by late March 2023, around 1793 temporary learning spaces (TLS) in the form of tents, container classrooms, or prefabricated schools were established in the 10 affected provinces.

Nevertheless, temporary schooling should only be seen as a “temporary” solution, meaning that the provision of an “inclusive and equitable quality education” requires structural changes. This idea was consolidated by the increase in dropout rates and learning losses following the establishment of TLS, as all displaced students couldn’t have full access to these facilities. Instead of attending school, some students from low-income families were tasked with contributing to the household as breadwinners. Furthermore, counselling support couldn’t be provided to students, making them overly vulnerable to the challenging circumstances. As a partial consequence, bridging the gap between students with special needs and their peers appeared to be totally unfeasible. Hence, pre-existing inequalities came into prominence and claims for more sustainable educational solutions were demanded both by families and instructors.

The post-earthquake atmosphere signaled an emergency for educational provision, and a mobilisation to comply with the “quality education” pillar of the SDGs.

3. Vulnerable Groups and Equity Challenges within Inclusiveness

Most vulnerable groups are affected disproportionately by natural disasters and are more susceptible to facing heightened educational risks. These groups mainly comprise low-income children, children with disabilities and refugees. Furthermore, the gender disparity is also structurally relevant and encompasses all these above mentioned groups.

Low-income families are primarily affected by the lack of means of transportation, in the context of obstacles to schooling access. Living in tents or prefabricated houses, they may be located far from school facilities. The striking perpetuation of these so-called “temporary” housing circumstances. Save the Children addressed this incident, highlighting that one year after the earthquake, over 761,000 people, including 205,000 children, were still in temporary settlements. These unstable living conditions make it even more difficult for students to follow the educational curriculum. This was also the case for the students with special needs, who lost their access to special assistance equipment during initial TLS provisions. Due to their anticipated temporal mission, these provisions were designed to meet a very basic educational threshold, and lacked a disability-friendly approach. This discrepancy between students with different competences risked prolonging social barriers and further delaying the integration of students with special needs. Therefore, the inclusiveness aspect of the “quality education” premise was far from being a priority. As a response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) tracked this gap and launched a reconstruction project for a damaged middle school in the region, which will be equipped to ensure full accessibility for students and teachers with disabilities.

Yet, special education also applies to refugee children. To enhance their educational integration, dedicated language classes and social support must be implemented. In this context, the European Union’s Support for School Enrollment (SSE) program emphasises the need to implement broader initiatives that include refugee and migrant children in the education system.

An inclusive educational approach must prioritize addressing gender disparities within educational disruptions. For instance, young girls are more likely to drop out as they may be burdened with household responsibilities, such as caring for their siblings while their parents work, or, in extreme cases, forced into child marriage. UNICEF’s warning about the lack of humanitarian post-earthquake support in Hatay highlights the essentiality of gender-sensitive strategies targeting young girls. Without a specific focus on inclusiveness, existing inequalities will deepen whilst an accurate address of these vulnerable points will contribute to a fairer recovery for the Hatay province.

4. Institutional and Policy Frameworks for Recovery

According to the rapid damage assessment report by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the initial direct physical damage from the 2023 earthquakes was estimated at $34.2 billion, while overall losses and recovery needs exceeded $100 billion. With the gigantic scale of damage, budgetary and temporal complications occurred.

4.1 The “Building Back Better” Mantra: Comparative Analysis of Previous Educational Recovery Strategies

Quality education stems from an educational body that is willing to be part of learning processes. This statement is valid both for the students and instructors, who might feel unmotivated, in the absence of a grounded physical sphere for education. Thus, the primary area of post-earthquake educational recovery must be the restoration of infrastructure and the realisation of prioritised reconstruction projects. Accelerated rebuilding of facilities is a practice that can be exemplified by previous incidents worldwide. For instance, Nepal suffered from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015, which disrupted the education of 1.5 million children, affecting about 9000 schools. TLS were established as an immediate action, but the dropout rates escalated, urging for the rapid launch of a school reconstruction plan.

The funding was primarily managed by the School Management Committee (SMC) through government spending, with the rest of the financial burden being undertaken by NGOs and, in particular by the Asian Development Bank, which launched a comprehensive Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project. The dedicated nature of the reconstruction program underscored the importance of external assistance to improve the conduct of larger scale projects.

Apart from the financial assistance, a strong political will and regular enforcement are essential to ensure an earthquake-proof construction framework to prevent future disasters. Japan stands as a striking example with its stringent building codes. In the aftermath of The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, the Japanese government launched an extensive program of retrofitting, providing technical assistance and engineering solutions for cost-effective school renovations. Thus, devastating effects of further natural hazards were mediated in later years, due to preliminary regulations for disaster-resilient school designs.

Therefore, the mantra for Hatay extends beyond “rebuilding” and touches upon “Building Back Better”, enhancing safe constructions complying with the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018). It should be noted that the latest code of 2018 was the first document to add a dedicated chapter for the design of high-rise buildings in earthquake-prone areas, a significantly late addition to the code, given the seismically active character of the region. The regional vulnerability suggests that the reconstruction solutions such as retrofitting can accelerate the reopening of schools, as speed is of the essence to promote an educational reintegration as soon as possible.

4.2 Accessibility and Inclusive Education

Though reconstruction of schools is essential, it will remain insufficient, if it is not accompanied with regulations to maximise accessibility. Drawing upon abovementioned vulnerable groups, inclusiveness should be promoted within the design of educational recovery.

Schools built in the post-earthquake period should strictly adhere to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Emphasising an adaptable educational model that accommodates individual student needs, UDL promotes inclusive communication strategies to facilitate interaction between students with disabilities, their teachers, and peers. Physical accessibility should be supported through assistive technology, so as to maximise student participation in the learning processes, opting for remote learning alternatives on occasions where physical attendance appears to be impractical.

In recent years, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significant effort to enhance digital learning tools. Apart from computer-assisted learning, broadcasting lessons via national education TV channels and online video streamings served as outreach mechanisms for student integration. Universities in Türkiye rapidly adapted themselves to these emergency conditions, following their classes online.

However, the shift to digital education also underscored a significant digital divide, as many students in Hatay lacked adequate electronic devices and stable internet access. In a region where electricity was frequently disrupted and displaced families were forced to live in tent camps, maintaining consistent online learning was nearly impossible. Scholarly studies on emergency remote education emphasise that disparities in access and digital literacy not only widen learning gaps but also exacerbate pre-existing socio-economic inequalities.

4.3 Culture of Disaster Preparedness

Drawing on the correlation between a society’s vulnerability and the damages suffered by natural disasters, raising citizen awareness on “culture of prevention” plays a key role in developing efficient disaster response and initiating recovery. In terms of institutionalisation, disaster risk reduction (DRR) would be integrated into school curricula as part of an educational reform. These integrations already partly exist within textbook material but a textbook-based classroom culture may result in student passivity and remain unable to foster an interactive learning environment.

In Türkiye, given the past history of devastating earthquakes over recent years, awareness about earthquakes was already highly present. Therefore, this long-standing awareness can account for the existence of a School-Based Disaster Education program pre-quake. The framework of this program consisted of preparedness training for natural disasters, basic knowledge provision on DRR, and workshops to improve the practical skills of teachers. Moving forward, this training program should be strengthened in light of the 2023 earthquakes’ recent data. More specifically, “proactivity” should be emphasized through locality and community involvement. By doing so, it would be easier to take immediate action before the arrival of external aid and ensure that local agents are better adapted to rapid changes.

4.4 Multi-level collaboration with government leadership

The devastating scale of the earthquake made the local NGOs, UN agencies, and international donors quickly mobilise for Hatay’s education recovery. These organizations bolstered governmental efforts through tent provision, financial aid and supply of standardized material. The Turkish government should contribute to this collaborative approach by maintaining effective communication with municipalities and local education boards in Hatay. Hence, on-the-ground needs would be better identified and progress would be tracked meticulously, addressing potential bottlenecks as they arise.

5. Policy Recommendations

Regarding this framework, policy recommendations can be ranged from short to long term, in line with their expected impact.

5.1 Short-term Stabilisation

The measures taken within the first year following the disaster should have been concentrated on the expansion of TLS and the preliminary provision of school materials that would enable students to participate in schooling. This was indeed the case in practice, as of March 2023, around 1,800 such spaces were in use; however, gaps persisted in more remote or severely hit neighborhoods. Teachers from all around Türkiye were sent to Hatay to make up for the lack of local instructors but short-term contracts were an unsustainable solution, necessitating the creation of a better support system. Re-evoking the psychological impact of the hazard on students as well as on other educational staff. Well-being for all should have been prioritized during crisis times. UNICEF set a humanitarian example by reaching out to more than 149,000 children and caregivers with psychosocial support within a year, working closely to prevent internal conflicts at affected households.

For comprehensive well-being, mental health support should have been paired with adequate emergency financial aid for victims. To prioritize families -especially those from low-income backgrounds -stable cash transfers should have been implemented during the initial recovery phase, the most vulnerable period due to ongoing shock and post-traumatic reactions.

5.2 Mid-term Rehabilitation

After providing a short-term financial relief and implementing temporary schooling solutions, the primary focus should have shifted to the acceleration of the reconstruction and repairing projects, conforming to disaster-resilient standards and, more broadly, to the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018). Priority should be given to the rebuilding of schools located in the most populated neighbourhoods of the province to maximise student access. In this context, consultation within communities should be encouraged by the public authorities to ensure that projects’ targets align with the needs of the students from that area. For instance, identifying the number of students with special needs and disabilities would enable the incorporation of more accessibility features than anticipated, moving an additional step forward towards the “inclusiveness” premise.

Local and national media should cover extensively these communal efforts, informing households about the ongoing reconstruction projects and educational facilities. A specific emphasis should be placed on back-to-school campaigns to ensure the integration of female students into the education system, who might have been more susceptible to drop out. Thus, towards the end of the mid-term rehabilitation phase, Hatay would have made significant improvements regarding the provision of physical facilities and of human capital to the region.

5.3 Long-term Resilience

Encompassing the aftermath of 3 years following the earthquake, long-term policies should focus on stabilising and sustaining the recovery period practices within a pro-education framework. The shift from the TLS practices towards quality education based on inclusiveness and equity should be solidified. That being said, an independent organ should be tasked with supervising the adequate implementation of educational policies.

The Ministry of Education should be incentivised to concretise the expansion of the School-Based Disaster Education program on the basis of proactivity. To do so, an educational model dedicated to the Emergency Education Unit to endorse proactive actions could be developed. This model should tackle issues such as the identification of citizens trapped under the wreckage, the preparation of first aid kits and the instruction of basic principles of first aid through applied courses. In this way, disaster preparedness can translate tragedy into an impetus for safer education country-wide and entrench firmly the quality education policies.

Another major way of sustaining the recovery period practices is through securing sustainable financing. The Turkish government should mobilise public authorities through the establishment of an emergency commission for a particular budget management. Furthermore, public funds can be supplemented by public-private partnerships (PPPs), to encourage the involvement of the private sector. By increasing the number of financial partners, larger scale retrofitting projects aligned with the framework of “building back better” could be implemented. The accumulation of diverse funds will not only create a solid financial foundation for potential emergencies during recovery, but also pave the way for future innovative projects such as initiatives to revitalise the cultural life in Hatay.

Hence, these policy solutions would enable the progress of Hatay from an immediate scale recovery towards resilience, providing quality and inclusive education without compromising structural integrity. The far reaching target of these policies is to foster the education system by creating an innovative opportunity out of a hazard, strengthening the power of Hatay to stand still for its future generations.

6. Conclusion

The educational recovery period of Hatay post-earthquake would undoubtedly be a difficult path to trace. However, achieving the sustainable goal of a quality education provision would consolidate Hatay’s resilience for the future. Education, first and foremost stands both as a fundamental human right and a necessity, for the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. As demonstrated through the report, inclusive education on the basis of equity lays a foundation for a cohesive society with effective inter-community solidarity.

Drawing on the effort to “leave no student behind”, Hatay’s educational model of protecting the vulnerable groups and strengthening the overall educational environment could serve as a model for innovative educational solutions in emergency situations.

Achievement necessitates patience and adequate supervision of the ongoing projects to address deficiencies as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, it should be noted that educational recovery is a period of ups and downs, instabilities and lags where plans may fail to meet the real life implications. After all, Hatay’s revitalisation for a better education and eventually for a better future is not a sprint but a marathon and the journey aims at constructing stronger foundations for knowledge and hope.

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