An Analysis on Training Our National Elites

Educational movements seen after the second constitutional monarchy period in ottoman empire had the same view that the most important obstacle for the development of the country was lacking of education and some opinions were put forward related to education. emrullah efendi, minister of education at that time focused on the importance of reforms in education and had the idea that national elites had to be grown up for the development and union of the country. emrullah efendi stated in his work named “tuba ağacı nazariyesi” that all sciences started from upper level of community and therefore reform had to be started primarily in daru'l-fünun (istanbul university). he noted the importance of elites by saying “we need superior brains” and worked in accordance. he believed that quality in education is more important than quantity and focused on the training of trainers. movement of elite education is supported by feridun vecdi and was additionally advocated by ziya gökalp and mümtaz turhan in the later periods. these trainers having realized the importance of people with genius intelligence for the development of country discussed the efficiency of universities and highlighted that scientific understanding, settled in the west, had to be transferred to the country for a superior civilisation. this thought, suggesting that development would be possible by growing up elites, is still up to date topic in educational history of the country.