New Regulation on Teaching Hours in MEB: Restructuring Public Sector Workload

The new regulation on teaching and extra hours for administrators and teachers under the Ministry of National Education (MEB) was published in the Official Gazette dated July 11, 2026, following the Presidential Decree. This decision, in line with Article 89 of Law No. 657 on Public Servants and the provisions of Law No. 439, restructures working hours across different branches, special education areas, and newly established academic units in educational institutions.

Workload Restructuring in Public Education

■High Schools, Technical Institutions, and Special Education Schools have set weekly teaching hours at 20 hours for principals and vice principals, while headmistresses/headmasters will have 25 hours.

■Teachers in Research and Development units of Maturation Institutes will have 15 hours per week.

■Second-job principals at MEB-affiliated education centers will have 30 hours, and vice principals 20 hours weekly.

Budget and Employment Impacts

■For students struggling in Turkish and Mathematics, teachers will be assigned up to 160 hours annually, covering 10 students maximum.

■In Adult Education Courses, managers will have 10 hours, while field/laboratory instructors and course teachers will have 44 hours weekly.

■Guidance and Research Center teachers will have 15 hours weekly.

Zeynep Kaya Analysis: This regulation aims to optimize the workload of public education staff while maintaining budget discipline. Particularly, the 44-hour teaching load in adult education responds to increasing demand and may enhance service quality. However, short-term fiscal impacts should be carefully evaluated.