The transformation of education employment in neoliberalizing Turkey: a case study of private primary/secondary schools of İstanbul

Education has been a part of the social structure with different functions in various times throughout human history. The education which is completely intertwined with the religious structure in the Middle Ages has been secularized by social transformations and intellectual transformations. The practices of "citizen-building" through nation-state in capitalism and modernism and the qualified workforce for production have been the determinants of education. The developmental dynamics of capitalism in different geographies has also given the character to education. The education, which has been seen as social right for many years, was opened to commodification with the neo-liberal wave of the 1980s. There has been a great commodification process in areas such as education, health and transportation. The transformation to overcome the crisis of capitalism for the continuity of capital accumulation has led to significant results in Turkey as in the world. As the meaning and function of education change, the working conditions of the people who work in this field have changed greatly. The social perception of teaching, which is seen as a sacred occupation, has also changed. The number of private schools are increased in 2000s. In these schools, there are a large mass of teachers who lack of employment security and are low-paid and non-union employees. We can say that these teachers are become workers. This study examines teachers working in private schools. The statistical datas of the questionnaire study for teachers working in official schools in Istanbul is revealed with a critical realistic view within the context of a conceptual background and historical context. The discussion of the findings obtained using the mixed research method as a combination of quantitative and qualitative datas reveal meaningful results in terms of our transformation and understanding of the current table Key Words : Teacher, School, Education, Neoliberalism, Commodification