Minister Avcı made the following statement during the ceremony held on the occasion of the beginning of the second term of the 2014-1025 School Year at the Ankara Çankaya Primary School: “I would like to begin my speech with the wish that the second term of the 2014-1015 School Year brings blessings and health for everyone. I also would like to welcome 15 thousand newly appointed teachers and wish success in their career.”

Noting that the Ministry has been working on the program for the distribution of dried raisins at schools, Minister Avcı went on to say: “The Prime Minister has announced. You might be wondering where the dried raisins are… We are still working on this project. We hope that this program will start at the end of March, Allah willing. I wish the second term will bring health and success to all students and teachers.”

“I request school bus drivers to display extreme attention while students get in and out of the buses.”

Minister Avcı during his speech requested from the school bus drivers and school bus officers to be more careful in the second term and show extreme attention while students get in and out of the buses and wait until they are safely delivered to parents or other authorized family members.”

“Children are entering their written examinations at their own regular classrooms“

Noting that the media has carried news reports mainly saying the semester holiday is over and that marathon exams will begin, Minister Avcı said, “There is no marathon of examinations. We have lifted the Placement Test (SBS) but children will continue to enter their regular written examinations, let’s not cause anxiety among students. Let’s not cause stress by saying that there is a marathon of examinations ahead of students. They are entering and will continue to enter their regular exams at their own classrooms. Due to this reason, please avoid using dramatic terms such as “examinations begin” and cause stress among students who are actually experiencing a nice school term.”

Minister Avcı asked the students, ”What are you going to do when it snows?” and children responded; “We will play, make snowmen, ski and have a holiday.” Upon this answer, Minister Avcı said, “If there is going to be a lot of snow and roads get slippery, we might close down the schools for a day or two. But we are not going to close the schools in every snow.”

Later, Minister Avcı took out his own fountain pen out of his pocket and presented it to class teacher Melike Belkıs Güney as a present when she said she had been serving as a teacher for 40 years.