A comprehensive analysis of health services for primary school-aged children in Türkiye: Current status, challenges, and international perspectives

This article comprehensively analyses the current status, legal and institutional framework, implementation practices, and challenges encountered in health services for primary school-aged children in Türkiye. Employing literature review and policy analysis methods, the study identifies that although Türkiye’s school health system possesses a strong legal infrastructure, it experiences a significant policy-implementation gap, particularly due to the lack of institutionalised healthcare personnel (such as school nurses) in schools. A comparison with international best practice examples, such as Finland and Japan, reveals the structural deficiencies of the system in Türkiye. The article argues that the current system’s structure, based on project-based and episodic interventions, is insufficient in meeting the continuous and holistic health needs of children. Consequently, evidence-based policy recommendations are presented, such as making the school nursing role legally mandatory, establishing sustainable funding models, ensuring digital data integration, and systematising family engagement.