Far-reaching agreements regarding German-Turkish collaboration in adult education and the introduction of telc Language Certificates at federal further educations centres were signed in Ankara on 20 April 2011.

The Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education, the German Adult Education Association e.V. and its not-for-profit subsidiary telc GmbH would like to collaborate closely in the future to promote a strategy of lifelong learning. This is a result of policies and agreements that were signed by a delegation under the leadership of the President of the German Adult Education Association and former President of the Lower House of German Parliament, Prof Rita Süssmuth, with the Undersecretary of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education, Mehmet Temel, as well as Director General of the General Directorate of Apprenticeship and Non-formal Education, Mehmet Can. Plans include the implementation of joint conferences and further education initiatives, the development of exchange programmes for teaching staff, a significant boost to the number of foreign language learners who gain certification(in various languages) and a wider provision of Turkish examinations for language instruction in Germany with advanced telc certificates.

Undersecretary Mehmet Temel stressed that knowledge and information rapidly become out-dated and must therefore constantly be refreshed. He also remarked on the importance of every citizen being afforded the opportunity of lifelong learning.

Prof Süssmuth identified the task of averting a ‘clash of cultures’ through reciprocal programmes of intercultural education. The strengthening of foreign language competence was seen by both parties as the fundamental measure for success in this regard. The aim of making these activities accessible to the entire population is of particular relevance. The German Adult Education Centres (VHS) and Turkish Halk Eğitim Merkezi provide an excellent opportunity for the realisation of the ‘education for all’ challenge through approximately 1,000 centres in each country. Director General Mehmet Can thanked Prof Süssmuth for her engagement with people of Turkish descent in Germany and expressed the desire to increase the number of foreign language learners and the quality of foreign language instruction in Turkey through collaboration with telc.

Picture (from left to right): Venhar Şahin, Republic of Turkey Ministry for National Education; Jürgen Keicher, Managing Director of telc GmbH; Prof Dr Rita Süssmuth, President of the German Adult Education Association; Mehmet Temel, Undersecretary of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education; Mehmet Can, Director General of the General Directorate of Apprenticeship and Non-formal Education; Ulrich Angenvoorth, Association Director of the German Adult Education Association; Petra Kochendörfer German Embassy, Ankara

You can also read the article by the Turkish Ministry of Education (in Turkish).