Is the School Building Earthquake-Safe? Documents to Request and 10 Questions to Ask

For every family choosing a school in Istanbul, the first question is the same: is the building earthquake-safe? The answer is not in the brochure; it is in the documents and in the school's preparedness. Below you will find the documents you can request, 10 questions to ask the school leadership, and the preparations to look for beyond the building itself. Under each heading we share TED Üsküdar College's situation as an example.

First: a visual check is not enough

A crack in a wall or a fresh coat of paint tells you nothing about building safety. Only an engineering assessment can judge whether a building is earthquake-resistant. What a parent can do is ask for the right documents and get the answers in writing.

Documents you can request

Document	What it shows
Building permit and construction year	Which building-code period the building was built under
Soil survey	Whether the ground beneath the building was investigated
Building inspection reports	Whether construction was supervised
Occupancy certificate (iskân)	That the building was approved for use
Ministry of Education operating permit	That the building is licensed as a school
Independent building inspection report	An additional review by a university or qualified institution
Retrofitting documents (older buildings)	If strengthened, when and by whom

At TED Üsküdar: The foundation was laid in 2018 and the building was completed in June 2022. It was designed and built as a school, with building inspection and quality control throughout construction. After review by the authorities, an occupancy certificate was issued and the Ministry of National Education licensed the building as a school. The building inspection, occupancy, fire safety and health reports are in the school's founding file and parents can review them at the school. In addition, Istanbul Technical University's Department of Civil Engineering inspected the building on 17 February 2023; the report is published on the school's website.

10 questions to ask the school leadership

When was the building built, and was it designed as a school? Buildings converted into schools later may have different floor loads and escape routes.
Was a soil survey carried out? Can I see the report?
Has an independent institution inspected the building? Is the report written and shareable?
Is there an emergency team? Who is on it, and what training have they had?
How often are drills held? Are any unannounced?
Are cabinets and shelves fixed to the walls? Do the windows have safety film?
What happens if power and water are cut? Is there a generator and a water tank?
Are there food and water supplies for after an earthquake?
How are children handed over to parents after an earthquake? Who can collect them, with what documents?
How will the school contact parents in a crisis?

Preparedness beyond the building

A sound building is the first condition, but what happens during and after an earthquake matters just as much.

At TED Üsküdar:

Emergency team: An Emergency Management Team of trained administrative and teaching staff. Search-and-rescue, first-aid and shelter teams receive regular training.
Drills: Earthquake and building evacuation drills are held regularly, both announced and unannounced.
Inside the building: Cabinets are fixed to the walls and all windows have safety film. Signs in classrooms, the garden, dining halls and corridors show the routes to follow during and after an earthquake.
Utilities: A water tank with a treatment system and 2 generators that start automatically 9 seconds after a power cut; the natural gas system shuts off automatically in an earthquake.
Supplies: Food and drink are stocked in the school kitchen and stores for use after an earthquake. School buses also carry water, biscuits and juice for every student on board.
Handing over students: If an earthquake happens during the school day, students wait at the assembly area after a roll call and are not released to anyone until the school sends a message. Anyone other than a parent must bring ID and a parent's written statement; handover is recorded in writing.
Communication: In a crisis, the school contacts parents by SMS, WhatsApp and, where possible, email / K12NET.
Student training: School counsellors and deputy principals give age-appropriate disaster training in classes.

Details are on the school's Earthquake and Emergency Information page.

Quick checklist

Construction year and whether it was designed as a school
Soil survey, building inspection and occupancy documents
Independent building inspection report
Emergency team and drill frequency
Fixed furniture, window safety film
Generator, water tank, food and water supplies
Written student handover procedure

Documents and visits at TED Üsküdar College

Our Physical Structure and Earthquake Safety Technical Report and Earthquake and Emergency Information pages are publicly available on the website. To see the campus and review the documents in person, plan a visit: +90 216 424 44 44 or the information form.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell whether a school building is earthquake-resistant?

Ask for the construction year, whether the building was designed as a school, the soil survey, building inspection and occupancy documents and, ideally, an inspection report from an independent institution such as a university civil engineering department. A visual check is not enough to judge building safety.

Can parents see a private school's documents?

You can ask the school. TED Üsküdar College, for example, states that its building inspection, occupancy, fire safety and health reports are kept in its founding file and can be reviewed by parents at the school, and it publishes Istanbul Technical University's building inspection report on its website.

Beyond the building, what earthquake preparedness should a school have?

Check for an emergency team, how often drills are held and whether some are unannounced, furniture fixed to walls, safety film on windows, generators and a water tank, food and water supplies, and a written procedure for handing children over to parents after an earthquake.

When was TED Üsküdar College's building built?

The foundation was laid in 2018 and the building was completed in June 2022. It was designed and built as a school, and Istanbul Technical University's Department of Civil Engineering carried out an additional building inspection on 17 February 2023.