Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, participated as a speaker in the program titled “The Place and Importance of 21st Century Skills in the Education and Training Process” organized by the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education. In his speech, Tarhan drew attention to the importance of value-based education for students; “We see countless relationships, but zero love. There is less respect, more ego. There is higher intelligence, less emotion. There are social media friendships, but no one-on-one communication. And when we encountered Covid-19, the order was disrupted. The world entered the digital age and a digital dictatorship emerged.” Tarhan also underlined the necessity of establishing Education Universities.
“The education system is also an ecosystem”
Emphasizing that the student is at the center of the ecosystem in the education system, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said; “At the very heart of education, there is first the student. Then comes the teacher, then the family. Finally, there is the wider society. Education needs to be student-focused. By student-centered education, I don't mean doing everything the student says, but rather asking 'How should students be educated? How should they be taught?' I also have a general view on this. All education faculties in Istanbul should come together and establish an education university. The process cannot proceed with smart but lazy people. We need new education universities. It is essential for the system to be run by people who foresee the future. No process carried out in this manner can yield efficiency or progress. A revolution is needed in education. The education system is also an ecosystem.”
“The 21st century is before us with all its realities”
Stating that today's realities should be viewed with a broad perspective, Tarhan noted; “I want to touch upon the realities of the 21st century. We see countless relationships, but zero love. There is less respect, more ego. There are many drugs, but inadequate health prevails. There is higher intelligence, less emotion. There are social media friendships, but no one-on-one communication. There are countless more such situations. And when we encountered Covid-19, the order was disrupted. The world entered the digital age and a digital dictatorship emerged. In Industry 4.0, there are digital platforms. For example, there are robots, cybersecurity, augmented reality. But what is truly important is big data. Whoever dominates big data now means dominating the universe. It will manage everything like money mobility, social mobility, and economic mobility. Industry, power, global trends continue from here. The 21st century is before us with all its realities.”
“Social and emotional skills are very important”
Referring to the importance of social and emotional skills and autism motor skills, Tarhan said; “Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk is well aware of the importance of social and emotional skills. He is someone who knows the importance of tests and scales and has stated that they are being implemented. During the Covid-19 period, it was observed that when everyone was confined to their homes, computers became everyone's area of interest. Autism has 6 sub-dimensions on a scale. These are; fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social, emotional, sensory, and logical skills. In our education system, however, we only focus on logical and mathematical skills. When the focus is on academic success, social skills cannot develop. Especially for the 6-year-old age group, social, gross motor, and emotional skills are very important. It is necessary to proceed by measuring and testing. A child can draw a picture of a place, yes, but struggles to engage in social relationships, doesn't understand humor, and cannot join conversations. There is a population of autistic individuals who can improve with special education, and their potential for improvement is high. If we develop education in this era, everything will be interconnected and possible. Because social and emotional skills are very important.”
“A person without vision cannot have mental flexibility”
Emphasizing that values education should be taught to students, Tarhan said; “It is necessary to teach value content. Values should be taught within physics, chemistry, and mathematics. It is necessary to teach how to be a good person, honest, and hardworking. If these are not taught, the cost will be very high. Turkey cannot progress with smart but lazy people. It cannot have leaders and visionaries. Such individuals should not exist in future generations either. We need visionary individuals. A person without vision cannot have mental flexibility. Vision is about writing what one can be in life. But mission is about writing what one can do. Without these, people act according to their own interests. The universe needs justice. Education should not only be academic. This can only be achieved with a perception of justice. It is necessary to teach value content within education.”
“The global system does not teach happiness”
Stating that empathy and happiness have decreased in the 21st century, Tarhan said; “Narcissism has increased in this era. Feelings of empathy have decreased. These individuals don't like to give, they are prone to taking. When unhappiness increases, depression occurs, and then the result is suicide. During the Covid period, we can also see that all emotions have decreased. Crises will break the weak links. A global struggle continues in this era. Social problems and depression have increased. Along with this, income inequality has also increased. The reason for suicides is the decrease in inner happiness. Hedonism is a global problem for the entire world. The mother of all evils is the lack of empathy. Because the global system does not teach happiness.”
“Patriarchal culture should not be enabled in violence against women”
Referring to the rates of violence against women in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated; “In 2019, we were first in this regard. We must stop being a society that feeds on violence. There is no place for violence in our religion. This is not an ethic compatible with Islam. Our loss and shame regarding violence against women are great. We need to know how to be good people, our culture, our values, and instill these values in new generations. Values education is important. Patriarchal culture should not be enabled in violence against women.”