Throughout the Ottoman Empire, a key objective of education was to raise 'great Muslims'. Therefore there was a need for Islamic scholars, which was sustained through Islamic Theology Schools, called Madrasa.In 1913, the Medresetü-l Eimmeti vel Hutaba (School of ministers and preachers Medresetü-l Vaazin were combined to form the concrete origins of today's Imam Hatip high schools
In 1924, the Tevhid-i Tedrisat (Law of Unification of Educational Guideline was passed, replacing the existing, primarily sectarian educational system with a secular, centralist and nationalist education one. The brand-new law brought all universities under the control of the Ministry of National Education. A Faculty of Faith at the Darülfünun (Istanbul University), unique schools for training imams and hatips (ministers and preachers) were opened by the brand-new Ministry of National Education. However, in 1930 İmam Hatip schools were closed and 1933 the Faculty of Divinity was abolished.
In contrast to the solely secularist nature of the education policy of the Republican politician Individuals's Celebration (CHP) religious education was reinstated in 1948. This included the establishment of a Faculty of Theology at the University of Ankara in 1949. Very first actions for the facility of Imam Hatip schools started in 1951 under the Democrat Celebration federal government, which established 7 unique secondary schools (Imam Hatip Okulları). In addition, in 1959 Islamic Institutes were opened for graduates of Imam Hatip schools.
Following the coup d'etat in 1960, Imam Hatip schools came across the threat of closure. Following the return to civilian politics and the introduction of the new constitution in 1961, graduates of Imam Hatip schools might just register in university programs if they had actually passed courses used at nonreligious schools. Throughout the premiership of Süleyman Demirel however, graduates of Imam Hatip schools were provided access to university without such requirements. The 1971 Turkish coup d'état introduced two crucial reforms: to start with junior high Imam Hatip schools were eliminated, and in 1973 Imam Hatip schools were relabelled as Imam Hatip high schools. Under the subsequent National Education Basic Law, Imam Hatip schools were defined as professional schools, where trainees were to be trained as preachers and ministers or prepared for higher education.
Imam Hatip schools grew slowly at first, but their numbers expanded quickly to 334 throughout the 1970s. The union federal government of 1974, established by the CHP and the MSP (National Salvation Celebration), dedicated to reopen junior high schools and offering the right of entry to university through evaluation. 230 new Imam Hatip high schools were opened in a period of almost four years. Throughout the 1974-75 academic year the number of trainees participating in to the Imam Hatip high schools grew to 48,895. This number subsequently grew to 200,300 by 1980-81. In addition, females got the right of entry to Imam Hatip high schools in 1976. The proliferation of Imam Hatip high schools is often pointed out as the impact of the National Redemption Celebration's membership of a variety of coalitions with Nationalist Front federal governments.
Circumstance since 1980
The coup d'etat of September 12, 1980 is an important turning point in the history of Turkey and also for the history of Ä°mam-Hatip high schools. Under military governance, graduates of Imam Hatip high schools gained the right of entry to all university departments. In 1985, 2 new Imam Hatip high schools opened, one in Tunceli, despite of the so-called ethnic structure of the region, and the other in Beykoz as an more info Anatolian Imam Hatip High School, with the aim of contributing to the education of kids of families who work abroad. Although the variety of Imam Hatip high schools had not increased given that, the number of trainees attending Imam Hatip high schools has actually increased by 45%. This is partly due to the improvement in the quality of Imam Hatip high schools and the education used at such schools.
During the education year of 1973-74, the overall variety of Imam Hatip students was 34,570; in 1997 this number had actually sharply increased to reach 511,502. Together with this enormous increase in appeal, the number of schools also increased. The variety of Imam Hatip junior high reached 601 and senior high schools 402. The boost in both trainee and school numbers can be attributed to elements consisting of the dedication of people to religious beliefs, dorm room centers, scholarships, the admittance of females and an increase in need for spiritual education.
Research study suggests that between the years of 1993 and 2000, potential trainees signed up at Imam Hatip high schools primarily to receive religious tutoring together with a more basic education.In addition, research study reveals enrolment at Imam Hatip high schools was based solely on the student's decision. The third suggested consider the increase in appeal of Imam Hatip schools is the admission of female trainees in 1976. By 1998, almost 100,000 females attended Imam Hatip high schools, making up practically half of all students. This fact is especially exposing since females are not qualified to end up being either priests or ministers.
Nevertheless, the intro of eight years of obligatory education in 1997 has actually seen an unexpected decrease in the popularity of Imam Hatip schools. In 1999, the reclassification of Imam Hatip schools as "professional schools" indicated that, although more choices had been provided to graduates, obtaining locations at prominent university courses ended up being more difficult.By needing that all eight mandatory years of schooling be invested under the very same primary-school roofing, intermediate schools were abolished. Children could not get in occupation schools (among them the Imam Hatip school) up until the ninth grade (rather than the sixth, as prior to).