The new contract signed between the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and TÜBİTAK takes Turkey’s indigenization move in educational technologies to the next level. With the signing ceremony hosted by the General Directorate of Innovation and Educational Technologies (YEĞİTEK), it is aimed to disseminate the domestic operating system Pardus in interactive whiteboards and information technology classes used in schools.

This strategic step not only reduces licensing costs but also ensures the cybersecurity and technological independence of the education system.

• The Ministry of National Education and TÜBİTAK signed the Pardus Operating System Dissemination Project contract in order to increase the use of domestic software in education.

• Within the scope of the project, it is planned to equip 650 thousand interactive whiteboards and all newly established information technology classes across the country with Pardus.

• Thanks to the open source Pardus ETAP version, licensing costs in schools are eliminated, while cyber security standards and local support opportunities increase.

Technology Move in Education and Pardus ETAP

Interactive boards, which constitute the most important pillar of digital transformation in schools across Türkiye, now work with a completely native interface. Pardus ETAP (Interactive Blackboard Interface Project), developed by TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM, offers a user experience specially designed according to the needs of teachers and students. With the new contract signed, the coverage area of ​​this system is expanded.

This project, which was implemented with the approval of the Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, aims to make Türkiye a pioneer in the world in open source software.

Within the framework of the vision of increasing quality in education, the localization and updating processes of applications on existing interactive whiteboards are directly managed by public institutions. This ensures that possible technical problems are responded to quickly and the system is constantly kept up to date.

Savings and Cyber ​​​​Security Together

The widespread use of Pardus prevents foreign software licensing costs, which creates a great burden on the public budget. Pardus, which is completely free and open source, allows millions of dollars to be saved in thousands of schools. However, the advantages of the project are not only economic.

Cyber ​​security is one of the most critical topics for educational technologies. Thanks to its open source structure, Pardus offers a structure that is much more resistant to viruses and malware than traditional operating systems.

In addition, with the central management software developed within TÜBİTAK, it becomes possible to manage all devices in schools in a safe and controlled manner. This ensures that students remain in a safe digital learning environment.

Ease of Use for Teachers

Pardus ETAP version comes with a special interface optimized for touch screens. Tools such as “Screen Dimming”, “ETA Keyboard” and “ETA Panel”, which teachers need most in the classroom, make teaching more fluid.

In addition, the system, which is fully integrated with EBA (Education Information Network), reduces access to digital content to seconds. Practical solutions such as fast login via USB also help teachers use lesson time more efficiently.

Türkiye’s Software Future

This collaboration between YEĞİTEK and TÜBİTAK is seen as a step that strengthens Turkey’s software ecosystem. The introduction of young generations to a domestic operating system during school contributes to the formation of domestic technology awareness for future engineers and software developers.

The MEB-TÜBİTAK collaboration, which has been ongoing since 2012, turns into one of the world’s largest open source software operations on a corporate scale with this new agreement.