An evaluation on the results of Ordu province school planning

The aim of this research is to determine the problems experienced in the planning of The Ministry of Education school buildings, making an analysis about utilization process of them, the problems faced with in the planning stage, the criteria to be taken into account when constructing school buildings, the need for schools, the reasons why schools are in surplus (inactive) state, the burden of idle school buildings on the education budget, the effect of closed schools on their environment and the idleness of school buildings along with how schools that have fallen into disrepair are evaluated. In this research, which was designed in accordance with qualitative research techniques, in addition to document analysis, data sources and data collection methods (Triangulation) such as observation, interview, document review method were used to get more detailed information from the participants (school principals, education specialists, village/neighbourhood headmen) and to understand the thoughts and ideas of the participants. The study group of the research was determined as being the principal of the school that became idle with the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, having an idle school in its neighbourhood/village, and being involved in the construction and closing process of the school building. Research data were collected with semi-structured interview forms developed by the researcher. The documents used in the research were obtained from the records of Ordu Provincial Directorate of National Education and Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. The reliability of the data obtained in the study was achieved through peer review, researcher triangulation and participant confirmation. The validity and reliability of the qualitative dimension of the research was tested in the light of credibility, reliability, confirmability, and transferability criteria. Descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques were preferred in the analysis of qualitative data obtained through interviews. The research data were analyzed separately for each group and divided into themes, categories, and codes in line with the research purpose and sub-purposes. In some places, direct quotations from the views of the participants were also made. In the study, it has been concluded that 966 school buildings in Ordu are idle, scientific criteria and regional conditions are not taken into account in the planning of school buildings, that school planning is open to the effects of local or central politicians, that schools built without a data-based planning and which are closed after a while, that they affect the socio-cultural structure negatively, that the migration from the village to the city has increased with the closure of the schools and that most of the closed school buildings are not evaluated as suitable and left to rot. Based on the findings of the research, it has been suggested that in planning of school buildings the age population, number of students, geographical conditions, bringing scientific criteria into the centre, not the demands of local or central political centres should be considered and that that suitable ones from the closed school buildings should be allocated to village/neighbourhood mukhtars or public education centres to be used for socio-cultural and educational purposes.