There has been occurring a rapid change in our present world. The one thing which does not change in this process is the variation. Changes in science, technology, society and economy have been running so rapidly that they are making even so much difficult our tracing the process of change; which has been spreading out, discussed and improved at every corner of the world instantly. There is no more “unchangeable correct information”, “scientific, technologic, social and economic issues that remain unchanged”. Even if today’s most effective information could have been losing its effectiveness in the course of such change and renovation. The reality of innovation (change) entails realization of its own evolution within the context of the right of education.
The right to be educated has been dealt traditionally within framework of ensuring entire population of compulsory education age to access school in 1960s and 1970s. In the course of time, in a broader sense and within the perspective to learn throughout the life time the concept of the educational right has been developed so as to cover the right to access to an education which may provide accession to a qualified education, basic skills and qualities which may ensure life-time employability, which is correlated with economy and democracy in the social life, and which is sensitive to economy and democracy. Changes in the meaning of the concept of the educational right have been clearly observed by the years in reports on “Education for Everybody” prepared by United Nations.

Overcoming of fundamental challenges and difficulties on the issue of educational right in respect to forming of future of Turkey is vitally important. The first of these challenges is that the basic education be widen to cover all population of the same age and accession to education at every level and kind be expanded. The second challenge however is that much more qualified and at the same time much more fair and equilibrium accession may be ensured within the perspective of life-time learning. To be enrolled and attending the school do not mean for thousands of children that they have been provided with the right of accession to a qualified education. Ensuring an education which is sensitive to requirements of the society, individuals, economy and democracy has been found and considered as a priority which could not be suspended and neglected in terms of both educational rights of individuals and future of Turkey.

In the 80th anniversary of its foundation Turkish Education Association (Türk Eğitim Derneği) aims to create a dialogue and platform which may ensure handling of the educational right within the perspective of life-time learning, discussion of problems, improving policies and proposals of solution. Among its studies to accomplish this objective the Association has been holding “ 80th Anniversary International Education Forum” on “Educational Right and Perspectives to Future” with participation of distinguished scientists and statesmen from Turkey and abroad. At this forum educational right will be discussed within the framework of such issues as ideological meaning of education, global changes and education, changing role and functions of school, impacts of education on sustainable economic development, entrance examinations, accession and equality, reevaluation of accession process to EU in terms of economy of education and role of civil society on education.
Having created a point of view considering also global developments and changes on ensuring educational right and which will constitute a basis for a national program to ensure improvement of educational right in Turkey, a document prepared on the basis of national and international experiences and which will constitute basis of a national program will be issued at this Forum.