The schools that the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk attended and the experiences he had throughout his education life in these schools are a lesson for many young people. While Atatürk gained some of the characteristics that made him a good leader in these schools, he was also influenced by many of his teachers in his schools. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who did not give up on his feelings of patriotism and courage throughout his education life, was a very disciplined and hardworking student. Atatürk, who was interested not only in school but also in politics and literature during his education, acquired some of his future vision in these schools.
He developed many of his personality traits by being inspired by his teachers. Let’s take a closer look at the education life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and look at the schools he attended.
Schools Mustafa Kemal Atatürk attended:
The beginning of Atatürk’s education life: Neighborhood School
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s education life started with the Neighborhood School. During the primary school selection, there were differences of opinion between her mother Zübeyde Hanım and her father Ali Rıza Efendi. While Zübeyde Hanım wanted Mustafa to receive a more traditional and religious education, Ali Rıza Efendi wanted her children to receive a more innovative education. Despite the arguments, little Mustafa first enrolled in the Neighborhood School at the request and insistence of his mother.
Modern primary education: Şemsi Efendi School
After spending a few weeks at the Neighborhood School, Atatürk enrolled in the Şemsi Efendi School at his father’s request. Şemsi Efendi School provided a modern and disciplined education in which new education and training techniques were applied. This school provided a better education than the higher ranked schools in the surrounding area. The graduates of this primary school were leaving the school better equipped than the secondary school students.
His father, Ali Rıza Efendi, who insisted on a modern education, died two years before his son finished school.
The last civilian school where Atatürk was educated: Mülkiye Rüştiyesi
Mustafa, who moved to the farm with his family after his father’s death, moved to his aunt’s house in order to go to the Mülkiye Rüştiyesi. Mulkiye Rüştiyesi was a secondary school that focused on social sciences.
The mathematics teacher Hüseyin Efendi, known as Kaymak Hafız, applied physical violence to Mustafa because he caused a class indiscipline and did not bow down to injustice, and this caused Mustafa’s grandmother, Ayşe Hanım, to be taken from school, who could not make him feel proud. Ayşe Hanım did not want Mustafa to continue his education in this school, since Hüseyin Efendi, the teacher who was involved in the incident, was also the assistant principal of this school.
Birth of the name Kemal: Thessaloniki Military High School
Mustafa, who has been interested in the military profession since his childhood, wanted to be a soldier. One of the biggest reasons that revived his desire was that his neighbors went to school in military uniforms. Mustafa, who took the exam unaware of his mother, who did not want him to go to a military school, started his education at school by skipping class thanks to his success in the exam. The future Anafartalar Hero had taken his first step into his military education and military life.
Atatürk got the name Kemal from this school. The math teacher at school named Mustafa said, “Your name is Mustafa, mine too. From now on, your name will be Mustafa Kemal.” He said, and from that day on, Mustafa’s name became Mustafa Kemal. His teacher named him Kemal, meaning ‘perfection, maturity’. Another teacher who influenced him in this school was French teacher Captain Nakiyüddin Bey. Captain Nakiyüddin Bey contributed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s ideas about freedom. Atatürk better grasped the importance of a foreign language, especially French, in those days. Mustafa Kemal, with the dream and enthusiasm of being a soldier, completed the school in 1895, where he took the exam secretly from his mother, with the rank of fourth in his class.
The school where he got his passion for independence: Manastır Military High School
After graduating from Thessaloniki Military High School, Mustafa Kemal, who was on vacation in Thessaloniki, set out for Manastır by train in 1896 to register with the Manastır Military High School. Mustafa Kemal would later refer to these days as the beginning of life outside the family home. The Manastır Military High School was a boarding and highly disciplined school. Atatürk began to acquire his passion for independence in this school. Among the many courses at the school, literature and history were the ones that influenced him the most. Atatürk acquired a lot of knowledge that would raise him to leadership in the future at this school. Especially his interest in literature played a great role in the development of his oratory.
Mehmet Tevfik Bilge has been the teacher who influenced him the most at this school, he is a history teacher and a graduate of the Military Academy. This teacher pioneered Mustafa Kemal’s recognition of the Military Academy. Mustafa Kemal, who was highly influenced by the literature teachers at the school, acquired the habit of reading in this school. During the summer holidays and when the school took a break from education, he did not neglect French courses and improved his foreign language. This choice would help him to follow international developments in the future. Although he wanted to participate in the Ottoman-Greek war that broke out on April 19, 1897, he was 16 years old and could not meet the age criteria, so he was not drafted into the military. Mustafa Kemal, who wanted to join the war bravely at the age of 16, continued his military education from where he left off. In November 1898, as the second in his class, he successfully completed the Manastır Military High School and was entitled to enter the Military Academy.
Military Academy: Mekteb-i Harbiye-i Şahane
First of all, let us state that the Istanbul Military Academy continues to provide education as the Turkish Military Academy and is affiliated with the National Defense University. Mustafa Kemal, who was entitled to enroll in the Istanbul Military Academy after graduating from the Manastır Military High School, continued his life in Galata Beyoğlu throughout his education life in this school. With the opportunity of being educated in one of the most cosmopolitan districts of the Ottoman Empire, he took care to improve his foreign language. He read newspapers and magazines in French. In particular, he closely followed the views of the foreign public on the Ottoman Empire and international developments. Mustafa Kemal, who became a class sergeant 2 months after he started school, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on February 10, 1902, and was entitled to enter the War Academy.
Before we move on to the last school where the great leader was educated, let’s talk about an important tradition of cadet students. Mustafa Kemal’s student number at the Military Academy is 1283. For this reason, while the cadets are taking attendance at every graduation ceremony, when the number 1283 is read, all the students stand up and say, “Inside!” He expresses his respect to Atatürk, who is known as ‘the greatest cadet’. This tradition continues to exist today.
Military Academy: Erkan-ı Harbiye Mektebi
Mustafa Kemal began his staff officer training at the War Academy. During his education, he and his friends showed great interest in the affairs of the country. For this reason, they published a handwritten newspaper criticizing the government of the period and talking about the shortcomings of their policies. In the newspaper, they criticized the oppression regime and talked about the mistakes of the administration. Although the handwritten newspaper they published with their friends was noticed and followed by the school, they were not punished as it was not seen as harmful. They continued to publish daily newspapers with their friends until they finished school.
Mustafa Kemal graduated from the Military Academy with the rank of staff captain on January 11, 1905. After graduation, he was sent to Damascus (Today’s Syrian territory), his first place of duty, to do his internship in the 5th Army 30th Cavalry Regiment. He founded the Vatan ve Hürriyet Cemiyeti with the experience of organization and patriotism he gained from his student years. He carried out many studies in order to increase the loyalty of the region to the Ottoman Empire.
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