Educational Reforms: The Teacher of Teachers
Orhan Seyfi Ari
~a brief biography
Orhan Seyfi Ari (in Turkish: Orhan Seyfi Arı), dubbed 'Teacher of Teachers' by his people's Minister of Education, born 12th December 1918, in Lapithiou, Cyprus, was a Turkish Cypriote secondary school teacher hailed for his many and nation-wide successes in the educational reforms in popularising education and teaching among (especially Turkish) Cypriots, his teaching and love for his pupils [1], keen also on religion [2] and values, a thinker educator with his mark on the history of education of his nation [3], and an occasional socio-political columnist defender of liberties vigorously and fearlessly [4]; with acknowledgement also of his cultural and literary help within and without and works on youth morality [5] and with poetry composed after him [6], upon his death on 17th December 1992, Turkish Cypriots named streets after him [7].
A Cypriot-TRNC Ministry of Culture and Education Turkish Cypriot educational research publication [8] states that Orhan Seyfi Ari was instrumental in establishing the first Agricultural College in the Colony of Cyprus, and the Biographical Dictionary of Cypriots in Greek ([1]) records him for being instrumental (with noteworthy contribution of his wife Suzan Ari whom he married in 1946) in establishing and popularising Turkish Cypriot education and co-education in Paphos [9] and in Ludrijina [10].
Having studied at Morphou Teacher Training College and graduated also from its Agricultural College 1941 (which he had helped establish in Cyprus) where he also taught Turkish and Greek Cypriote students, and following headship at Arodez elementary, teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari taught (and was house-master) at the English School also Armenian Cypriot pupils, before his secondary school headships in Paphos and Loudrijina in the Colony of Cyprus, also following a course for teachers in Britain; and, in the Republic of Cyprus having taught at Bayraktar Secondary in Nicosia; while teaching again at the English School, in Cyprus-TRNC he continued teaching at Bayraktar and also taught at Girls Technical Institute, retiring from teaching in 1979. He taught agriculture, Greek, religion and ethics, and mostly English. Also in retirement having contributed to the unifying discussions of his community's cultural organisations in Britain, invited, he visited and talked to their Australian schools.
Orhan Seyfi Ari's praised works with youth morality and his sharp wit have been publicised in the news media and his mystical heart, and sagacity [11], as much as his visionary motivational cultural and educational reforms successes [12].
More information on teacher Orhan Seyfi Arı: Tributes to teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari: Tributes to Teacher of Teachers
References
1. 'O bir
Öğretmen' -
Ömer Mehmet in Birleşik Kıbrıs, 19 September 2003
2.
'Cumhurbaşkanımız M A Talatı Dinlerken' -S. Mehmet Ersoy in Hüryıldız 23 December 2008
3. 'Alaylı mı, Mektepli mi?'-Mustafa Do
ğrusöz in Kıbrıs, 5 February 1999
4. Editorial 'Görüş' -Akay Cemal in
Halkın Sesi, 27 December 1992
5. 'Bu Dünyadan Seyfi Geçti' -Harid Fedai in Halkın Sesi, 29 December 1992
6. 'B
ir Yıldız Kaydı
' -Oğuz Metiner in Birlik, 29 January 1993
7. 'Orhan Seyfi Arı' street in Nicosia in 1993, and in Lysi in 2006
8.
A
li Nesim
,
Batmayan Eğitim Güneşlerimiz (Kıbrıs Türk Eğitimi Hakkında Bir Araştırma) (p. 357 -and biographical pp. 350-358), KKTC Milli Eğitim ve Kültür
Bakanlığı Yayınları: 6, Ulus Ofset Baskı 72959 Lefkoşa 1987
9.
Βιογραφικόν Λεξικόν Κυπρίων 1800-1920, v. F -6
th
ed., (p. 52 -biographical) -Αριστείδη Λ. Κουδουνάρη, ISBN: 878-9963-7856-3-6, Peirides Foundation Nicosia 20
10
10.
Akıncılar (Luricina) Türklerinin Yüzyıllık Varoluş Mücadelesi (Bir Kahramanlık Belgesi) (pp. 86-87), Hasan Yücelen, Ateş Matbaası Lefkoşa 2006
11.
А
ναμν
η
σεις
А
πο
Τη
Ζωη
Μου
(p. 49 -semi-biographical) -
Χαρ
ι
λα
ο
ς Ι Κ
ι
τρ
ο
μ
η
λ
ι
δ
ης
, Nicholas London 2002
12.
Krallar da Ölür (pp. 149-151)
-
Osman Güvenir, ISBN: 978-9963-9211-1-9, Halkın Sesi Basınevi Lefkoşa 2009
