The celebration programme themed “A Teacher’s Day in the Light of the Republic”, organised at Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) for 24 November Teachers’ Day, was the setting for moments full of enthusiasm and emotion.
Coordinated by the Faculty of Education, the programme began at the HKU Congress and Culture Centre with a moment of silence and a performance of the Turkish National Anthem in sign language by students of the Special Education Society. The programme was attended by Gaziantep Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Şahin, Kalyon Foundation President Reyhan Kalyoncu, HKU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Latife Özaydın, education administrators, faculty members, teachers and students.
In the programme, which featured a video collage titled “News from Teachers Who Graduated from the Hasan Kalyoncu University Faculty of Education”, all martyred teachers, first and foremost Aybüke Yalçın, Necmettin Yılmaz and Ayşenur Alkan, were remembered with gratitude and respect.
Giving the opening speech of the programme, Kalyon Foundation President Reyhan Kalyoncu stressed that they had come together to celebrate not just a day, but a great family that raises our hopes, warms our hearts and renews our faith in the future, saying: “The warmth and excitement filling this hall are the brightest sign of the strong faith we have in our country’s tomorrows. That is why we say: long live our teachers, and may the light they spread endure forever.”
Referring to the sapling planting ceremony she would attend later in the programme, Kalyoncu continued: “To the 11 million saplings we have planted as the Kalyon Foundation, we are adding another 10,000 olive and pistachio saplings today in Kilis. We are planting these saplings in the names of our university’s esteemed teachers. We are honoured to offer such a gift in memory of Teachers’ Day.”
HKU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, in her speech, stated that teaching is the strongest profession shaping Türkiye’s future and, in this context, drew attention to the university’s strong staff in education and the success of its graduates, saying: “Since the day it was founded, Hasan Kalyoncu University has continued to train Türkiye’s most qualified prospective teachers. The success our graduates have shown in every corner of the country makes us proud.”
Gaziantep Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Şahin underlined the importance of education and awareness of values, saying “What kind of child we raise today is very important.” Thanking the academics of Hasan Kalyoncu University and noting that the university made a significant contribution to the establishment of Europe’s largest disability centre, Şahin said: “I put my signature, as Fatma Şahin, under everything Hasan Kalyoncu University wants to do.”
The programme ended with a music recital, a folk dance performance and a group photograph.
