Türk Maarif College (), commonly referred to as Kolej, is a selective secondary public school in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus. Access to the school is only open to students with top score in a nationwide entrance exam. It is an English-medium school.
The school is famous with their performative academic programs, consecutively receiving national and international awards. The school engages scholars to be pro-active in sports, musical competitions and science olympiads.
The school follows the English curriculum, preparing students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and the GCE Advanced Level examinations. However, students are allowed to follow the Turkish curriculum from Year 10 if they choose to prepare for Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı. All students receive Devlet Lise Diploması (State Lycee Diploma) following their graduation.
History The school was founded on 27 January 1964 by Hasan Nevzat and two teachers Behzat Gürsel and Mahmut İslamoğlu all teaching members at the English School in Nicosia, which had remained in the Greek Cypriot controlled side after intercommunal fighting between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in December 1963. The school was established as a private school in a rented house in the Köşklüçiftlik area and later extended to a ruined church with four classrooms. The school was primarily set up as an English-medium school modelled on the English School, preparing students for the UK GCE examinations. It was then called Kösklüçiftlik English School (Turkish: Köşklüçiftlik İngiliz Okulu).
Eventually, the school moved to the Victoria Girls High School building near the Atatürk Square, and then transferred to the old Commercial Lycee next to the Haydar Pasha Mosque. In 1968, it was turned over to the Turkish Education Office and its name was changed to the English College (Turkish: İngiliz Koleji). Until 1973, the school did not award a diploma to its graduates. Due to the changes made in the entrance to Turkish universities, the school's name was changed once again to Turkish Educational College (Turkish: Türk Maarif Koleji) in 1973, and the school was authorised to award high school diplomas to its graduates. The school moved to its present location in 1974 which was previously used by an old Greek Cypriot High School, Gymnasio Neapolis in Kizilbash. After 1991 the secondary school portion (first, second, and third forms) moved to another building (as a separate school, Bayraktar Turk Maarif Koleji, leaving the high school portion (fourth, fifth and sixth forms). In academic year 2009-2010, the secondary school moved back onto the main premises at Okullar Yolu Street, which remains the current location of the school.
Head teachers
1964–1967 Mr. Hasan Nevzat 1967–1969 Mr. Selim Inan 1969–1980 Mr. Sacit Nereli 1980–1980 Mr. Vural Aşıcıoğlu (Acting Headmaster) 1980–1990 Mr. Şinasi Tekman 1990–1990 Mr. Recai Deren (Acting Headmaster) 1990–1993 Mr. Erdogan Şensoy 1993–2001 Mrs. Emine Beton 2001–2019 Mr. Fehmi Tokay 2019–2020 Mr. Erol Muhtaroğlu (Acting Headmaster) 2020–present Mrs. Candan Kortay
Athletics Türk Maarif College has a highly successful athletics programme. Even though the school does not offer any athletic scholarships, the varsity teams earn top national ranks in multiple disciplines.
2016-2017 national honours Only teamwise top three results are listed First place in high school girls' chess First place in high school mixed chess First place in high school boys' swimming First place in high school girls' table tennis First place in high school boys' tennis First place in secondary school girls' chess First place in secondary school mixed chess First place in secondary school boys' futsal First place in secondary school boys' table tennis First place in secondary school boys' tennis Second place in high school boys' basketball Second place in high school boys' judo Second place in high school girls' swimming Second place in secondary school girls' table tennis Second place in secondary school girls' tennis Third place in secondary school boys' basketball Third place in high school girls' cross country running Third place in secondary school boys' swimming Third place in secondary school girls' swimming
Notable alumni
Tufan Erhürman — President of Northern Cyprus, former Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus, Member of Parliament Serdar Denktaş — Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister for Finance, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Acting Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus Özdil Nami — Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister for Economy and Energy, former Chief Negotiator Raşit Pertev — Poet, author, former Chief Negotiator, former Cabinet Minister, former Secretary General of World Federation of Farmers, former Undersecretary for the Office of the President Mehmet Harmancı — Mayor of North Nicosia, former Cabinet Minister Hasan Taçoy — Member of Parliament, former Cabinet Minister Mustafa Djamgoz — Professor of cancer biology at Imperial College London, Chairman of the College of Medicine's Science Council Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu — Former Member of Parliament, former Cabinet Minister Raif Denktaş — Composer, journalist, academic, former Member of Parliament, former Political Adviser to the President Neşe Yaşın — Poet and author Suat Günsel — Founder of Near East University Hussein Chalayan, MBE, RDI — Fashion designer and two-times recipient of the British Designer of the Year Award
Sister schools Pertevniyal High School Yeşilköy 50th Year Anatolian High School
References
External links Turk Maarif Koleji Official Web Page Turk Maarif Koleji Education, Science and Culture Foundation