Post-republic religious education and curriculum in minority formal educational institutions: The case of Istanbul-Armenian schools

In the post-Tanzimat period, the Armenian community, which had a comprehensive and remarkable educational network throughout the empire, became a minority community with the establishment of the Republic. This transformation has dimensions related to educational institutions such as the dissipation experienced by Armenians in themselves, the disengagement from the Patriarchate and the politicization represented by the new generations studying in Europe. The Armenian Charter, which was emerged during the modernization process of the Ottoman Empire created polyphony in the internal dynamics of the Armenian society, and the secularization experienced along with this constituted the other important pillars of this transformation. The populist-nationalist movement that spread through the curricula in Armenian schools, especially after the Charter, caused a change in the perceptions of the society towards them, and the faithful nation with religious affiliation left its place to ethnic-national identity. With the politicization of education through schools, the control mechanisms on schools that have internal autonomy were also increased, especially with the regulations published after the Balkan Wars. After the deportation and the successful conclusion of the Independence War, the Armenian presence remained as small groups in certain cities and towns in Anatolia, and the population was mainly concentrated in Istanbul. With the Law of Unification of Education, which was published after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish government centralized education and removed its schools from the position of religious-oriented schools. Due to the principle of secularism and nationalization efforts in education, it was unthinkable for the Republican administration to be insensitive to minority schools and to exempt them. Therefore, with the laws and regulations control mechanisms on minority schools were put into practice. It was stated that the issue of education was seen as a domestic issue and that the pressures of foreign states would not be taken into account, and new regulations were made in minority schools to reduce the link between education and religion. In this research, by giving information about the history of Armenian schools, the curriculum used in religion courses from the beginning of Republican period to the present; It was evaluated in terms of purpose, content and method, and the suitability of the final curriculum used today with the understanding of education was discussed. At the same time, the religious education curriculum applied in Armenian schools was examined in the context of the acquisitions and competencies determined in the Turkish Qualifications Framework prepared by the Ministry of National Education. In the study, the role of religious education in Armenian schools in the formation of Armenian identity was also investigated, and the effect and adequacy of religious education given in schools in understanding other religions and social lives were emphasized.