Audit reveals fraud and mismanagement in Turkish private schools and dormitories

The Turkish Court of Accounts has uncovered significant instances of fraud and mismanagement within the country’s education sector, with a particular focus on Turkish private schools and dormitories. Recent audit reports highlight that private schools have inflated personnel numbers to claim excessive government incentives, while universities failed to utilize key facilities, exacerbating dormitory shortages amid a national housing crisis for students.

According to the audit report on the Ministry of Education for 2023, Turkish private schools engaged in widespread manipulation to receive financial contributions intended for student internships. The ministry provides payments to enterprises for students in vocational and technical high schools, but many private institutions allegedly exploited this system.

How Turkish private schools exploited government incentives

The Court of Accounts found numerous cases where Turkish private schools registered far more staff members than they employed, in some cases doubling the numbers. For example, companies with 20 employees claimed to have 40, significantly inflating the incentives they received. The audit also identified businesses that registered 62 students as interns, despite having no personnel to oversee them.

In addition, several private schools reportedly registered their own affiliated businesses in the ministry’s system, allowing them to present their students as interns and collect more incentives.

Turkish private universities’ fraudulent cases

The mismanagement extended beyond Turkish private schools to dormitories as well. The report found that while many universities faced housing shortages, certain institutions left dormitories idle. Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, for instance, kept its dormitories unused, despite the ongoing accommodation crisis for students nationwide.

The university claimed the facilities were utilized for international student events, but the Court of Accounts found no documentation to support this. Meanwhile, Mugla Sitki Kocman University was flagged for making academic appointments based on overly specific job descriptions seemingly tailored to individual candidates, raising concerns about transparency.

The audits highlight the need for increased oversight of Turkish private schools and dormitories to prevent further misuse of public funds and resources, especially at a time when many students are struggling with access to education and housing. The Education Ministry has yet to issue a formal response to the findings.