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Music Teacher In Istanbul Investigated For Imposing Music Class On Students
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. Source: Hurriyet, Turkey, December 18, 2007
Posted at: 2007-12-18
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