Lithuania

Structure of education system of Lithuania

Pre-higher education:

Duration of compulsory education:
Age of entry: 6-7
Age of exit: 16

Structure of school system:

Primary
Type of school providing this education:
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 6 to: 10

Basic First Stage

Type of school providing this education: Basic School, Secondary School  
Length of program in years: 6
Age level from: 10 to: 16
Certificate/diploma awarded: Certificate of Completion of the Basic Education School

Senior Secondary

Type of school providing this education: Secondary school, Gymnasium
Length of program in years: 2
Age level from: 16 to: 18
Certificate/diploma awarded: Maturity Certificate (BA)

Vocational

Type of school providing this education: Vocational School
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 14 to: 18

School education:

General secondary education is provided in three stages in twelve years. One or more levels, i.e. primary: forms 1-4 (age 6/7 to 10/11); lower secondary: forms 5-10 (age 10/11 to 16/17); and secondary: forms 11-12 (age 16/17 to 18/19) can form an independent establishment. The Ministry of Education and Science regulates the length of the academic year. Other types of general education schools include gymnasiums and international baccalaureate schools. Gymnasiums provide an in-depth specialized general education and set higher requirements for pupils. They usually have forms 1-4 consisting of pupils in their 9-12 school years. Lithuanian gymnasiums specialize in the Humanities (Classical and/or Contemporary Languages and Social Sciences), Practical Arts (Natural Sciences, Technology and Economics) and Fine Arts (Art and Music). Gymnasiums offering these specialities have a four-year curriculum. Pupils must have completed the eight grades in a general education school. Fine arts gymnasiums offer a 6- to 9-year curriculum. Graduates of secondary education, after passing the Maturity examinations, are awarded the Maturity Certificate that gives access to higher education. Those who complete secondary education but do not take the Maturity examinations are awarded the Secondary School Graduation Certificate. General secondary education is also offered in appropriate vocational schools. Adults can acquire a general education at adult general education schools (training centres) and adult departments (classes) at general education schools. Pupils undergoing treatment in sanatoriums can acquire a general education at the sanatorium's own general education school. Special schools are devoted to children with special needs. Child welfare establishments for educating learning-impaired children are also attached to these schools. Youth schools provide initial work skills and a general education for those having trouble adapting to society or not wishing to study at other schools.

Higher education:

In Lithuania, higher education establishments provide study programmes of varying length and levels. The institutions are of two types: Universities and Colleges. Higher education establishments can be both State and non-State institutions. Universities offer Master and Doctoral programmes, high level professional artistic creative activities, postgraduate art studies and carry out research. A College is a higher education establishment where non-university studies prevail and the majority of students study in accordance with non-university study programmes, applied research and (or) development or professional arts. The College's name cannot include the words "university" or "academy". The study system consists of consecutive university and non-university studies in higher education establishments according to the study programmes included in the Study and Teaching Programme Register, as well as non-consecutive studies. In the Republic of Lithuania, consecutive studies are carried out in accordance with study programmes that are included in the Register of Studies and Training Programmes. The quality of the study programmes is periodically assessed. The Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education carries out the assessment. Studies are measured in credits. One study credit is equal to forty conditional student work (academic, laboratory, independent, etc.) hours, i.e., one week of his work. Comparable with ECTS credits, one national credit corresponds to 1,5 ECTS credits.

Academic year:

Classes from: Sep to: Jun
Long vacation from: 1 Jul to: 31 Aug
Languages of instruction: Lithuanian, English, German, French

Stages of studies:

Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type):
Non-university level:
Studies last for 3 to 4 years (at least 120 national credits must be obtained). To be admitted, students should hold a Maturity Certificate or comparable qualifications. After completion of studies, a Higher Education Diploma is awarded. Non-university consecutive studies are one-stage professional studies in a higher education establishment oriented to practical activities and providing possibilities of acquiring a professional qualification based on applied research and/or development. The general access requirement is a comparable qualification. Graduates of the Colleges cannot pursue second cycle university studies (Master's level).

University level studies:

University level first stage: Basic studies.

Basic studies lead to a Bachelor's Degree or a professional qualification and generally last for three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years (140-180 national credits). General admission is based on the Brandos Atestatas (BA) or an equivalent qualification. They include general theory, speciality theory and practical subject modules. The programme may lead to a professional qualification (Diploma) such as teacher, engineer, artist etc... Non-consecutive selective studies include separate subjects or subject cycles. They are intended to improve or change people's qualifications and develop their professional or general education. On completion of these studies, an academic certificate is issued. A higher education qualification may be awarded if an appropriate amount of subjects in accordance with relevant study programme is completed.

University level second stage: Specialized or Master's studies (Magistras), Integrated Studies:

Upon completion of a basic study programme, graduates may pursue specialized professional studies or studies leading to a Master's Degree which last for one-and-a-half to two years (60-80 national credits). Specialized professional study programmes, lasting for 1-2 years, lead to professional qualifications, e.g. the qualification of medical Doctor.Integrated studies (the first and second stages are combined): Studies cannot last more than 6 study years and less than 5 study years. Studies of the first four years are attributed to the first stage of undergraduate studies, and studies of the remaining 1-2 years to the second stage of sequential studies. The Magistras (Master's) Degree or a special professional qualification is awarded after successful completion. The general access requirement is the Brandos Atestatas or a comparable qualification.

University level third stage: Rezidentūra (Residency), Meno aspirantūra (Postgraduate Arts studies), Doktorantūra (Doctoral studies):

Residency university studies are designed for those who have completed 6-year medical studies and intend to start independently their medical practice. Studies last for 1-5 years in three stages. Postgraduate Art studies are intended to train higher education establishment Art teachers and specialized artists. These studies last not more than 2 years. After successful completion the qualification of Meno licenciatas is awarded. Doctoral studies last between 3 and 4 years and can be pursued by completing the second stage, integrated studies or having comparable qualifications. Upon completion of the doctoral course, a doctoral thesis must be prepared and publicly defended in order for the candidate to qualify for the Doctorate. Doctoral studies must be jointly organized by higher education and research institutions.

University level fourth stage: Habilitation/Habilitacija:

The highest academic research qualificarion, the Habilituotas Daktaras, is awarded to holders of a Doctorate who have published significant scientific results in journals or monographs or habilitation thesis.

Teacher training:

Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers

Pre-primary and primary school teachers are trained at Vilnius Pedagogical University, Klaipėda University, Šiauliai Pedagogical University, and pedagogical colleges. Studies last for three or four years.
Secondary school teachers are trained at Vilnius University, Vilnius Pedagogical University, Šiauliai Pedagogical University, Vytautas Magnus University (in Kaunas) and Klaipėda University. Four-year course programmes are offered in certain other tertiary institutions. Master's degrees confer the right to teach in gymnasiums and colleges. Admission is on the basis of a Bachelor's degree and at least one year of teaching experience. Some higher education institutions offer study programmes leading directly to a teacher's qualification, others one-year courses to obtain the qualification of teacher after completing the regular study programme.

Training of higher education teachers

A Doctorate is required for Training of secondary school teachers
teaching in higher education institutions. A Master's degree is needed to begin a career as a lecturer. The Habilitation is also required for certain posts in universities or other research institutions (e.g. professor, researcher).

Non-traditional studies:

Distance higher education
Course programmes are conducted by transmitting to the student specially prepared learning materials through the postal services. Various virtual environments were introduced and are developed by universities.

Lifelong higher education

The Ministry of Education and Science has licensed 90 institutions to offer non-formal studies. Around 700 institutions are listed in the Register of the Ministry of Economy for adults and others. These include 63 state-owned companies, 288 joint-stock companies, 271 individual companies and 46 foreign investment companies. In addition, special departments for adult training have been set up in the universities. The courses offered include training and retraining, particularly in the fields of pedagogy, psychology, special or additional education etc.

ARGUMENTATION OF WORKING PACKAGE PROFILE

The main dilemma of the Lithuanian Preschool and Primary school Teacher training is an inappropriate balance of theory and practice in study programs. The approach, stated in the Concept of Teacher Training (2004), is: not rejecting the importance of theory, the main focus should be given to the training of competences of student teachers, leading to the practical skills. (Data from local and international research shows lack of individualization skills, lack of skills of teaching children with special needs, lack of skills of integration of educational process, lack of skills of critical thinking, reflecting, problem solving.).  This approach should be used as a main tool for definitions of quality of teacher training programs, too, at the same time searching better balance between theory and practice.

That is why the focus of the Comenius TIPP project on the skills of teachers to be competent in observing, making diagnostic conclusions, reflecting and applying various heterogenic features of educational process is very actual and important for Lithuanian teacher training system.

Understanding a very wide range of heterogenic issues at school, Lithuanian project team decided to focus of the research and recommendations for teachers about Learning styles, also - teaching styles, not dealing with sex, national background or social heterogeneity. So the focus will be placed on didactic heterogeneity, but not meta didactic context.

The object of working package and the same way - object of the research will be visual, audio, and kinestetik skills of children, and the basis for methodology of constructing questions perhaps will be the theory of Howard Gardner about multiply intelligences of children.