What are the factors determining the 2019 higher education quotas? What are the changes in quotas compared to the previous year? Is there any change in the vacant quota in 2018? What do the quota changes in basic programs mean? Have the new professions brought about by the change in technology been included in the manual?
ÖSYM has announced the “2019-YKS Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide amacıyla in order to give preliminary information to the candidates.
- What are the factors determining the 2019 higher education quotas?
Ministry of National Education (MONE), the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Technology, Presidential Strategy and Budget Department, the Social Security Institution, Turkey Chambers and Stock Exchanges Union as many public institutions / organizations where they are and private sector representatives of Higher Education Programs The process of determining the quotas with the opinions of the Advisory Board was carried out by YÖK. At the end of the quota determination process carried out by taking the opinions of all stakeholders with a participatory approach, quota changes were made in some programs. It is not possible to say that these changes are sufficient. The importance of the steps taken in order to solve the problem of vacancy as a result of the quality problem in higher education is of great importance, but it is essential to address the problems arising from the quality of education. According to YÖK sources, the annual cost per student for 2016 is around 9,000 TL.[1] When this situation is taken into consideration, it is understood that the problem of vacant quota is a major obstacle to both the quality and quality and the effective and efficient use of the country’s resources.
- What are the changes in quotas compared to the previous year?
In recent years, there has been serious debate over vacancies in higher education. Therefore, it can be said that the guide explained by OSYM is of great importance. As a matter of fact, in 2018, 839 thousand 490 quotas were determined for the associate degree and undergraduate programs of the universities. In 2019, the quota was reduced by 0.53 percent to 835 thousand 66. In 2018, 1 million 524 thousand 172 candidates could not settle any preference, while 128 thousand 508 quotas remained vacant. While the number of applicants applying to YKS in 2018 was 2 million 381 thousand 412, it increased by 6.16 percent in 2019 and reached 2 million 528 thousand 116 persons. When the quota is reduced, it can be concluded that the pressure on the students will increase. In this case, the quota revision as well as the compatibility of the trainings given in the programs with the field,
- Is there any change in the vacant quota in 2018?
Published by SETA Directorate of Education and Social Policies “ 5 Question: What do the 2018 LDS Additional Placement Results Say? ”Some of the sections whose quota is empty and where no students are settled are listed. [2] Table 1 shows the placement statistics for 2018 and the quotas opened in 2019 for some of these sections.
Table 1: Quotas for Some Programs 2018-2019
| University | Program | 2018 | 2019 | ||
| Quota | Compacting | Free Quota (percent) | Quota | ||
| Izmir University of Technology | Computer and Instructional Technology | 30 | 9 | 70.00 | 20 |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University | science teacher | 60 | 5 | 91.67 | 20 |
| University of Hakkari | Electrical engineering | 30 | 2nd | 93,33 | 30 |
| Iğdır University | Electrical engineering | 40 | 3 | 92.50 | 30 |
| Harran University | Mechanical engineering | 54 | 0 | 100.00 | 30 |
| University of Hakkari | Economy | 40 | 0 | 100.00 | 30 |
| Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University | Tourism management | 60 | 6 | 90.00 | 30 |
| Cumhuriyet University | Labor Economics andIndustrial Relations | 60 | 0 | 100.00 | 40 |
| Ataturk University | Philosophy (Evening Education) | 64 | 0 | 100.00 | 0 |
| Ahi Evran University | International relations(Secondary education) | 60 | one | 98.33 | 0 |
| Aydın Adnan Menderes University | Nazilli Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences(Secondary education) | 120 | 15 | 87.50 | 30 |
* Prepared by using OSYM Data for the years 2018-2019.
As can be seen in Table 1, in 2018, some quota revisions were made for some of the programs that faced with the problem of vacancies. These revisions are likely to reduce the problem of vacancies in 2019 university placements. However, managing the vacant quota problem through quota revision may cause some problems in the medium and long term in terms of the quality of higher education. Therefore, there is a need for quality increasing revisions along with the quota revisions.
- What do the quota changes in basic programs mean?
According to the 2018 quotas, there is a 0.53 percent decrease in the quotas announced in 2019. However, the rate of reduction in some programs is higher. The decrease in program quotas may be made to eliminate the mismatch between the number of students studying and the labor force needed and to take more rational steps.
- Teaching Programs
As a result of the meetings held between the MoNE and YÖK, the number of teachers and projections needed by the MoNE were taken into consideration and the program quota of the faculty of education was reduced by 10 percent. The quota of the faculty of education which was 53 thousand 796 in 2018 was determined as 48 thousand 546 in 2019. It is important to resolve the formation issue, which is a serious enigma in teaching admission. For example, while 11.2 percent of the prospective teachers who take Geography Teaching and Teaching Field Knowledge Test (ÖABT) are in the faculty of education, 88.8 percent are from the faculty of science and literature. While 7.9 percent of the pre-service teachers who have taken mathematics teaching and ÖABT exams are graduated from the faculty of education, 92 percent are graduated from the faculty of science and literature. [3] As can be seen from the examples given, only the revision of the teaching programs will not be enough to alleviate the accumulation in the profession.
- Health Programs
Some changes have been made to health programs upon notifications received from the Ministry of Health and other relevant institutions / organizations. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) states that the changes are in the secondary education associate degree programs and points out the next year for comprehensive revisions. [4]
- Law Programs
According to the reports received from the Ministry of Justice, minor changes were made to the quota of law faculties. A total of 565 quota has been reduced in all law faculty programs. Considering that 190 thousand dams continue to be applied at the entrance to law faculties, the decrease in the quota will make it difficult to enter the faculty.
- Have the new professions brought about by the change in technology been included in the manual?
The rapid development of technology has created new business areas and professions. In the higher education system to improve the international competitiveness of Turkey it must take the place of this new profession. In the published guide; information security technology, artificial intelligence engineering, software development, digital media and marketing, hybrid and electric vehicles technology. The emergence of new occupational fields with the developing technology and the expansion of higher education towards these fields are positive developments. The relationship between occupations with a qualified education and employment, which is a more important step than occupations in the manual, should be established on solid foundations.
[1] According to YÖK, the annual cost of a student is 9.000 TL https://www.memurlar.net/haber/556467/yok-e-gore-bir-ogrencinin-yillik-costi-9-000-tl.html (Access on 21.06.19)
[2] 5 Question: What do the 2018 LDS Additional Placement Results Say? https://www.setav.org/5-question2018-yks-ek-placement-results-ne-soyluy// (Access date: 21.06.19)
[3] 2017 ÖABT Evaluation Report https://dokuman.osym.gov.tr/pdfdokuman/2018/GENEL/2017_OABT_DRapor26072018.pdf(Accessed on 21.06.19)
[4] 2019 quota to higher education related disclosures https://www.yok.gov.tr/haberbelgeleri/haber/2019/58-2019-yks-kontenjanlari/2019_yks_kontenjanlarina_iliskin_aciklama.pdf (Access date: 21:06:19)
BY SETA ISTANBUL
