The handicraft workshops established at Oğuz Kağan Primary School with the initiative of School Principal Ayfer Yılmaz have transformed the cooperation with parents, teachers and public education into an exemplary model within the scope of the "2025 Year of Family". The most striking product of the project was the Turkish flag knitted together.
Oğuz Kağan Primary School in the Mamak district of Ankara draws attention with the handicraft workshops led by School Principal Ayfer Yılmaz. The “Productive Woman, Productive Family, Productive Society Handicraft Exhibition” organized within the scope of “Turkey Century 2025 Family Year” exhibited the works produced by teachers and parents throughout the year. The symbol of the event was the Turkish flag knitted stitch by stitch.
Mamak District National Education Branch Managers Hayrettin Yılmaz and Hatice Akman, Mamak Public Education Center Manager Nail Bölükbaş, representatives of various civil society organizations, union officials, school principals and many parents attended the opening of the exhibition.
School Principal Ayfer Yılmaz said that with the project, they aim to strengthen school-family cooperation and contribute to the culture of social production through adult education.
“On the occasion of the 2025 Year of the Family, we wanted to turn our parents into active productive stakeholders, not just spectators,” he said.
Marbling Workshop Became a Place for Students to Meet Art
Within the framework of the Lifelong Learning Directorate General Course Programs, Ebru Art was performed at the school in cooperation with Mamak Public Education Center. This workshop allowed students to get acquainted with traditional art and develop their creativity. Students learned the basic principles of Ebru art by working with different patterns and techniques throughout the year and the works they produced were exhibited in the exhibition.
“Marbling has been an original form of expression for our students and has also shown them what it means to produce with patience,” said Ayfer Yılmaz, expressing their pleasure in bringing art together with education.
An unused area in the school was transformed into a Handicraft Technology Workshop for adult education. Certified knitting courses were opened in this area by Decorative Handicraft Master Reyhan Gültekin, who was assigned by Mamak Public Education Center and is also the vice principal of the school.
Gültekin said, “The art of knitting is a very valuable field with its potential to contribute to both production and family economy. It makes me proud to support our trainees in transforming their talents into both art and benefit.”
The Flag in a Loop: The Symbol of the Event
The most popular piece of the exhibition was the handmade Turkish flag knitted by the teachers together. The flag, patiently prepared with red and white threads, took its place in the exhibition as the most special work symbolizing the spirit of joint production.
Ayfer Yılmaz said, “We started this work with inspiration from Istanbul Technical University’s national knitting project. The resulting work is not just a flag; it is the product of cooperation, labor and solidarity.”
This project, which is being carried out at Oğuz Kağan Primary School, will not be limited to just one exhibition. The school administration aims to ensure the continuation of the model by keeping both the marbling and handicraft workshops active in the new term.
