Education subgroup established in 1972. The Australian Western Thrace Turkish School is run by this subgroup of the association at 103-109 Union Street, Windsor 3181. This subgroup mainly consists of students’ parents and grandparents.

The school is open every Saturday from 11.00 am to 15.30 pm. Please contact the education officer for more details.

The history of Avustralian Western Thrace Turkish School and its activities

One of the most important problems faced by the Western Thrace Turks whose numbers have increased and who have settled in Australia was the education of their children and their future in the process. A Western Thrace teacher, Ahmet Çakıroğlu from Domruköy, opened his rented house at 112 High Street, Prahran, to the Western Thrace Turkish children in the early years and started giving Turkish lessons on his own initiative. His initiative formed the foundations of the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School. In 1972 the education subgroup of the association was formed. With the increase in the number of students, the school moved to the rented house of Hasan Meyzinoğlu and Efrahim Güler from Doğanca at 12 Newry Street, Prahran, in the 1973 school year.

Ahmet Çakıroğlu, Nadir Celil and Mustafa Karacaoğlan, who worked as teachers in Western Thrace before migrating to Australia, became volunteer teachers in this school that operated on weekends.

With another increase in the number of students in a short time, the school was moved to the Prahran College building. Later, education continued in the Toorak, Huntingdale and Windsor (later named Stonnington) public schools. There are students from Turkey and other Turkish groups as well as Western Thrace children. According to the 2004 records, around 65 students were receiving education at the primary and secondary education level. The curriculum has also been published in the 2004 school magazine. In the 2006 education year, primary and secondary education was continuing in the association building with 29 students. The classes are conducted by teachers with pedagogical training on Saturdays. Information about the school and the education and training activities is regularly published in the magazine Avustralya’da Elele. A Western Thrace Turk, Ayşe Aday was the principal of the school from 2000 until the end of the 2006 school year.

Australian Western Thrace Turkish School celebrates the ‘April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day’ and all other national holidays and intermittently takes part in the Australia Day celebrations on 26 January as it did in 2004 and 2006. The school also took part in celebrations in the Melbourne Consulate General along with other Turkish schools. Social activities and competitions (such as composition competitions) take place at the school in conjunction with the association. The Australian Western Thrace Turkish School students published their works in Yankı (1992), Elele Children’s Magazine (1998) and the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School Magazine (2004). In the 2008 school year the number of students dropped to twelve, but the association made sure that the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School continued. The school also continued with 19 students and two teachers at the primary level in the association building during 2009 school year. With increase of students, the school is currently continuing at primary and secondary level (2011 school year).

Pedagogical articles that are published in the magazine Avustralya’da Elele, which is the voice of the Western Thrace Turks in Australia, should also be mentioned here. The articles that relate to religious pedagogy are written by the religious officer of the association and the school’s religious instructor, Duran Öz. He also compiled the ‘Religious Information Guide’ to assist the students in their religious instruction in 1995. Other examples of pedagogical articles in other areas are: ‘Our Children’s Education and Training’ by Nadir Celil, ‘The Child and Discipline’ by Ayşe Aday and ‘The Family and Education’ by Salih Reşitoğlu.

Teachers who have worked in the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School

The first teachers to work in the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School were Ahmet Çakıroğlu, Mustafa Karacaoğlan and Nadir Celil. Working as volunteers, these pioneer teachers had worked as teachers before migrating to Australia.

Following the move to Prahran College, professional teachers worked in the school. These teachers came from Western Thrace, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Turkey. Lemi Salih, Mustafa Çavdar, Hakkı Manlacı, Özlem Mehmetoğlu, Gökşan Sapmaztürk, Adil Sapmaztürk, Duran Öz, Ramazan Tırlı, Ferhan Can, Levent Can, Melek Aşık, Zeynep Bozdoğan, Ayşe Aday, Sabri Serbest, Vedat Keskin and Yusuf Vanlıoğlu have all worked in the Australian Western Thrace Turkish School at various times. Duran Öz and his daughter Esra Öz have been teaching at the school since the beginning of the 2009 school year.

The first photograph of Australian Western Thrace Turkish School students together with their teachers at 12 Newry Street, Prahran, 1973

Australian Western Thrace Turkish School students with their teachers Nadir Celil (top) and Ahmet Çakıroğlu (above) continuing their education at the Prahran College in 1976