Turkey ready for distance education: Education minister
All crews, content ready, filming complete for lesson videos to be broadcast, posted online, says Ziya Selcuk
Erdogan Cagatay Zontur |19.03.2020
ANKARA
Turkey is prepared to institute distance education as online and broadcast school lessons are slated to launch on March 23 as part of measures against the novel coronavirus, the country's national education minister said Thursday.
"All the crews and content are ready. The filming is complete," Ziya Selcuk told Anadolu Agency's Editor's Desk in the capital Ankara.
Lessons will begin on March 23, at 09.00 a.m. local time (0600GMT), and will be 20 minutes each instead of the 40-minute regular classes, said Selcuk.
The lessons will mainly be broadcast via television channels more than once throughout the day, due to possible internet bandwidth issues.
"The lessons we will broadcast on television will also be related to previous topics in face-to-face classes," Selcuk added.
"Our teachers voluntarily prepared the lessons and subjects needed on television. Our teachers work in small groups in certain centers, studios and schools, and then test broadcasts are made," Selcuk said.
He also stressed that Turkey was one of the few countries able to implement distance education on a national level.
Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December, the novel coronavirus has claimed 8,810 lives globally, most in China, according to global data maintained by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
At least 218,827 cases of the virus have been confirmed in at least 160 countries and territories, with Europe as the new epicenter of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
Despite the rising number of cases, most people who get infected suffer mild symptoms and recover.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-ready-for-distance-education-education-minister/1771617
Coronavirus: Turkey-made testing kits to be out soon
Turkey has conducted 10,000 tests for coronavirus so far, says health minister
By Emin Avundukluoglu |19.03.2020
ANKARA
Turkey-made coronavirus testing kits will be available for use in the next one or two days, the country's health minister said Thursday.
"In the coming one or two days, a quick diagnosis kit will be ready," Fahrettin Koca told lawmakers in the Turkish parliament.
"Turkey has conducted over 10,000 tests so far [...] Our target is to carry out at least 10,000 to 15,000 tests daily," he said.
The health minister said the government will increase the number of laboratories to 36 nationwide.
"As of today, 18 labs are conducting tests in coordination with two university foundations," Koca said.
He said Turkey has 99,797 single-bed rooms that may be used for isolation or intensive care for patients, the minister said.
Praising the state-of-the-art city hospitals, Turkey's flagship project in health care, he said: "We are ready for all possible worst case scenarios in terms of physical and technological infrastructures."
Turkey late on Wednesday confirmed its second death from coronavirus.
Moreover, 93 new cases were confirmed, raising the tally to 191 in the country.
The health minister reiterated that preventive measures to avert the outbreak, such as staying at home and avoiding public gatherings, should be taken seriously.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/health/coronavirus-turkey-made-testing-kits-to-be-out-soon/1771996