Training studies in local government

Local administrations are the public organizations closest to people and neighbouring them. They deal with social, economic, cultural and environmental needs of the people within their administrational borders and try to produce solutions for their problems. Reasons such as globalization, migration, the time course of European Union, economical development and the rise of educational standarts brought about the rise of concern with politics and the rise of expectance from political organizations. To acquire the necessary political support, politicians developed stronger contacts and relations with people and widened their service frameworks which did not use to provide service before. The best example to this is the educational activities provided by the municipalities. In this study, educational activities of local administrations are examined within the special framework of Sancaktepe Municipality. Specifically investigated are the educational services provided for children, youngsters and women by Sancaktepe Municipality Directorate of Library and Directorate of Cultural and Social Affairs. A research and analysis is maintained about how these activities contributed to the academic, social, cultural, moral and economic development of those who are provided with these educations. To help a better understanding of the subject by comparison, some information about similar educational services of the local administrations in different countries and also the educational activities of some other county municipalities in Istanbul are presented in this study. During the preparation of the thesis, the participation is provided to the knowledge centers that ensure academic, cultural, artistic and spiritual education for students from kindergarten, elementary and secondary school. Direct observations regarding the students, parents and teachers and interviews with relevant people were made. Although Sancaktepe has recently become a district (2009), its municipality has significantly contributed to education through its knowledge centers which were founded in a short period of time. The education that is provided for roughly thirty thousand students who are subscribed to the fifteen knowledge centers, give them a chance to make up their deficiencies. In Sancaktepe, the total number of students is approximately seventy two thousand. When the total number of students and the number of students who subscribed to the knowledge centers are compared, it is seen that almost half of the students in the district gets benefit from the facilities of the knowledge centers. Besides, this educational opportunity which is provided daily after school hours and in weekends not only meets the educational needs of the students, but also protect them from bad sides of the streets. This is situation which also attracts the parents. Students and parents are completely satisfied and content about the educational activities of Sancaktepe Municipality on the basis of such reasons as these: In the first place, these educational activities and the necessary equipment are provided free of charge by the municipality; secondly, there is a knowledge center in almost every neighbourhood which are just in the walking distance; and so forth. No questionnaire or survey study has been executed, because in these conditions such a study would not produce healthy results.