Türk Maarif Koleji


Türk Maarif Koleji, commonly referred to as Kolej, is an influential selective secondary education institute in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus. Access to the school is only open to students with top score in a nationwide entrance exam. It is an English-medium school.
The school is famous with their highly successful academic programme, consecutively receiving national and international awards. The school is also very successful in sports, musical competitions and science olympiads.
The school follows the English curriculum, preparing students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and the GCE Advanced Level examinations. However, students are allowed to follow the Turkish curriculum from Year 10 if they choose to prepare for Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı. All students receive Devlet Lise Diploması following their graduation.

History

The school was founded on 27 January 1964 by Hasan Nevzat and two teachers Behzat Gürsel and Mahmut İslamoğlu all teaching members at the English School, which had remained in the Greek Cypriot controlled side after intercommunal fighting between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in December 1963. The School was established as a private school in a rented house in the Köşklüçiftlik area and later extended to a ruined church with four classrooms. The school was primarily set up as an English-medium school modelled on the English School, preparing students for the UK GCE examinations. It was then called Kösklüçiftlik İngiliz Okulu.
Eventually, the school moved to the Victoria Girls High School building near the Atatürk Square, and then transferred to the old Commercial Lycee next to the Haydarpasha Mosque. In 1968, it was turned over to the Turkish Education Office and its name was changed to the İngiliz Koleji. Until the year of 1973 the school did not award a diploma to its graduates. Due to the changes made in the entrance to Turkish universities, the school's name was changed once again to Türk Maarif Koleji in 1973, and the school was authorised to award high school diplomas to its graduates. The school moved to its present location in 1974 which was previously used by an old Greek Cypriot High School, Gymnasio Neapolis in Kizilbash. After 1991 the secondary school portion moved to another building. In academic year 2009-2010 the secondary school moved back onto the main premises at Okullar Yolu Street, which remains the current location of the school.

Head teachers

Mr. Hasan Nevzat - Deceased


Mr. Selim Inan


Mr. Sacit Nereli


Mr. Vural Aşıcıoğlu


Mr. Şinasi Tekman - Deceased


Mr. Recai Deren


Mr. Erdogan Şensoy


Mrs. Emine Beton


Mr. Fehmi Tokay

Athletics

Türk Maarif Koleji has a highly successful athletics programme. Even though the school does not offer any athletic scholarships, the varsity teams earn top national ranks in multiple disciplines.

2016-2017 national honours

only teamwise top three results are listed