İstanbul Parliamentary Representative Sezgin Tanrıkulu brought up in Parliament the case of 13-year-old Yunus Eser who died after receiving an electric shock at a school for the hearing impaired in 2012.

Mentioning the expert’s report in the parliamentary question he directed at National Education Minister Nabi Avcı, Tanrıkulu emphasized the report’s assertions that there were no teachers or warning signs near the students, and that cheap material had caused the power leak.

Tanrıkulu made the reminder that the National Education Ministry did not take on responsibility for the death, and that the National Education Directorate had uttered the defense that, “Yunus wouldn’t have contributed to his family even if he’d lived.”

How many children have died in schools?

Other questions to be answered in the parliamentary question are as follows:

* Is it true that cheap material and neglect caused 13-year-old Yunus Eser’s death? If it is, what ground was the defense based upon?

* Was the defense, “He wouldn’t have contributed to his family even if he’d lived,” of an institution the primary function of which is the education of citizens, made within your knowledge?

* What is the death toll in schools in the past 12 years?

* In how many lawsuits related to death in schools was your ministry found to be at fault? How much restitution have you had to pay?

Timeline of events

As Yunus Eser was playing ball with his friends in his boarding school’s yard on October 2, 2012, the ball escaped to the neighboring yard belonging to the dormitory of the Higher Education and Student Loan Accommodation Agency (YURTKUR).

While crossing over to the yard next door to retrieve his ball, Yunus Eser lost his life after receiving an electric shock from cables taken out of the electric pole with the aim of drawing electricity illegally.

The Eser Family filed complaints against the school principal and teachers on-call “for not looking out for their child”. (YY/PU)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.