Reading the Student Pledge Through the Eyes of Students in Turkey

Abstract

This article examines Turkish primary school students' knowledge of and attitudes toward the Student Pledge, which many students recite every school day. Although students demonstrated superficial knowledge of the concepts in the Pledge, they strongly connected the Pledge to commemorating Ataturk and reported that reciting it elicited feelings of sadness, elation, and love. The author argues for a reconsideration of the Pledge in light of modern perceptions of citizenship.