The Universal Values of Atatürk's Educational Policy

Özet

Our purpose in this paper is not so much to give a detailed account of Atatürk's educational reform to underline what we may call the universal values of his educational policy. Probably the term "universal values" needs some clarification. In this context, we may recall Aristotle; who in his Politics, explained that "education itself must be made a national concern" and that its ultimate aim must include "both virtue and utility." Indeed, one may claim that throughout history the major concern of education has been both to provide skills needed by the community for its prosperity and to train good citizens through the inculcation in them of higher moral, human, and spiritual qualities necessary for the promotion of human dignity. Of these two major objectives, the former may be regarded as the national aim of education and the latter as the universal aim. Therefore, the universal values which are to be embodied in national educational policy are the values that contribute to the promotion of these principles and qualities which are indispensable for the progress of humanity and the preservation of civilization.