Reviews of national policies for education : Lithuania

273 Pages·2002·1.891 MB·English

by  OECD

«
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Reviews of National Policies for Education
LITHUANIA
Reviews of National Policies
for Education
Reform of education, training and human resource development is an integral part
of the transition to a democratic society and market economy. Lithuania has made
progress in all these areas since reform began in 1990. The challenge for the
LITHUANIA
Ministry of Education and Science has been to promote and support changes that
meet the needs of the new economy and society as well as the interests of all
young people and adults, in the face of a shortage of financial and human R
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resources. v
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This book first gives a brief overview of regional issues and a history of education w
in Lithuania and describes the development of education in the country since the s

o EDUCATION AND SKILLS
political changes. It then presents an analysis of the entire education system and f

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identifies key directions for the reinforcement of the reforms in light of the
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challenges encountered by officials, communities, enterprises, educators, parents t
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and students under very dynamic conditions. It concludes with a set of key n
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recommendations of goals of education, learning effectiveness, outcomes and the l

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curriculum, management and governance for flexibility, responsiveness and
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change and, resources and financing. This review will be very useful to both li
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Lithuanian professionals and their international counterparts. ie
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This review is part of the OECD’s ongoing co-operation with non-Member f
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Reviews of National
Policies for Education
Lithuania
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
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Publié en français sous le titre:
Examens des politiques nationales d’éducation
Lituanie
© OECD 2002
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Foreword
The transition of Lithuania towards a pluralistic democracy and a market
economy has been marked by economic, social and political changes of extraordi-
nary breadth and depth. The talents, skills and knowledge base of the Lithuanian
population are crucial in this process; hence the ambitious scale and urgency of
the reforms being advanced for education. Education has been a central priority of
the Baltic Republics since regaining independence. As a small country with limited
natural resources, Lithuania sees its human capital as an important asset for entry
into the European Union and to compete in the global economy.
This report offers a comprehensive picture of the significant progress in educa-
tion reform since Lithuania re-established independence. Changes have occurred in
the contents of instruction (a new structure and content of curricula), the system of
education, institutions (new types of education institutions, a redesigned schooling
network) and education provision including new principles of the management and
financing of the education system. In1992, Lithuania produced a General Concept of
Education, which set out a programme for the reform of education. Although the
principal lines of this Concept have been followed, nevertheless, the OECD exam-
iners concurred with the conclusions of the Lithuanian Government that, despite
the progress, the reforms have not always resulted from a comprehensive and
publicly supported view on the architecture of the Lithuanian education system
and its functioning. Problems have been addressed separately without the neces-
sary co-ordination from the perspective of the whole education system. A renewed
emphasis on the updated General Concept supported by the President of Lithuania
provides an overall framework for reform and set forth concrete steps for addressing
remaining policy issues at every level of the education system. The OECD report
provides an overview of the impressive forward thinking leading to these policy
statements. and supports these national strategies and offers advice on issues of
access, equity, quality, the introduction of new technologies and decentralisation of
management and financing responsibilities.
Against the background of material prepared by the Lithuanian authorities
and information supplied in meetings in the course of site visits, the examiners’
report provides an overview education in the Baltic region and covers the entire
system of Lithuanian education from pre-school through tertiary education and 3
© OECD 2002
Reviews of National Policies for Education – Lithuania
lifelong learning for all. The report gives an analysis of these sectors in light of the
economic, social and political context of Lithuania. The final chapter on strategic
development brings together in the form of a synthesis those specific recommen-
dations and sets out how policies can and should be addressed system-wide,
linked to priority issues of access and equity, quality, efficiency and governance.
This review of education policy was undertaken within the framework of the
Baltic Regional Programme of the OECD Centre for Co-operation with Non-Members
(CCNM). The conclusions and recommendations were discussed at a special session
of the Education Committee, hosted by Finland on 26 and 27 June2000 in Helsinki
and attended by all three Baltic Ministers of Education. This report incorporates key
points raised in the course of that discussion.
Members of the review team were: Aims McGuinness (United States), Gen-
eral Rapporteur, Johanna Crighton (The Netherlands), Boris Galabov (Bulgaria),
Constantine Tsolakidis (Greece), Maree Bentley (Australia), Jerzy Wisniewski
(Poland), Peter Darvas (The World Bank), Henrik Faudel (European Training
Foundation) and Ian Whitman (OECD Secretariat).
This volume is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of
the OECD.
Eric Burgeat
Director of the OECD
Centre for Co-operation
with Non-Members
4
© OECD 2002
Table of Contents
Overview of Education Policy Reviews of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania......................... 9
Background of the reviews................................................................................................. 9
Similarities and differences among Baltic States............................................................ 11
Phases of reform.................................................................................................................. 13
Conceptual foundation for reform..................................................................................... 15
Common themes................................................................................................................. 16
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 25
Chapter 1. Context...................................................................................................................... 27
Geographic and historical context..................................................................................... 27
Demography......................................................................................................................... 29
Ethnic and language distribution...................................................................................... 31
Governmental structure...................................................................................................... 32
Economy............................................................................................................................... 33
Chapter 2. Lithuanian Education System: an Overview....................................................... 39
Reform process.................................................................................................................... 39
Structure of Lithuanian education system....................................................................... 41
Enrolments........................................................................................................................... 46
Distribution of responsibilities.......................................................................................... 50
Financing of the education system................................................................................... 52
Chapter 3. Pre-School, Compulsory and General Education.............................................. 59
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 59
A – Schools, Governance and Finance........................................................................... 59
Types and characteristics of schools............................................................................. 59
B – Curriculum, Standards and Assessment in General Education.......................... 68
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 68
The content of learning............................................................................................... 70
The delivered curriculum............................................................................................ 76
Recommendations regarding curriculum.................................................................. 83
Recommendations related to textbooks.................................................................. 88
Recommendations related to computers in schools............................................... 95
Recommendations related to teaching for reform................................................... 101
The attained curriculum: what students learn.......................................................... 103 5
© OECD 2002
Reviews of National Policies for Education – Lithuania
Recommendations related to assessment............................................................... 112
Recommendation on outcomes of learning............................................................. 115
C – Financing and Management of Compulsory and General Education............... 116
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 116
Levels of responsibility for financing and financial flows....................................... 117
Issues related to finance and management............................................................. 121
Recommendations on financing and management................................................. 127
Summary of recommendations on compulsory and general education............... 128
Chapter 4. Vocational Education and Training..................................................................... 137
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 137
Policy structure and governance....................................................................................... 138
Providers and programmes in vocational education and training................................ 139
Financing of vocational education and training.............................................................. 149
Status of reform and policy issues.................................................................................... 150
Teacher training and retraining......................................................................................... 159
Recommendations on vocational education and training............................................. 160
Chapter 5. Adult Education....................................................................................................... 165
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 165
Governance and legislation............................................................................................... 166
Literacy................................................................................................................................. 170
Adult Continuing Vocational Education........................................................................... 170
Recommendations on adult education............................................................................ 173
Chapter 6. Social Inclusion: Access, Equity and Special Needs........................................ 177
A – Access, Equity and Social Issues.............................................................................. 177
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 177
Access to early childhood education................................................................................ 178
Drop-out and non-attendance.......................................................................................... 179
Poverty.................................................................................................................................. 180
Roma (Gypsy) children....................................................................................................... 182
Street children..................................................................................................................... 183
Youth schools and ward homes......................................................................................... 185
Ward homes......................................................................................................................... 186
Recommendations related to access, equity and social issues.................................... 187
B – Special Needs Provision in Lithuania...................................................................... 188
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 188
Legal framework.................................................................................................................. 188
Placement and provision................................................................................................... 190
Issues in special needs education.................................................................................... 193
Recommendations related to special needs.................................................................. 195
6 Summary of recommendations on social inclusion........................................................ 196
© OECD 2002
Table of Contents
Chapter 7. The System of Higher Education.......................................................................... 201
History................................................................................................................................... 201
Status of reform and remaining challenges...................................................................... 204
Legislative framework and system structure................................................................... 206
Higher education institutions............................................................................................ 210
Academic staff in higher education establishments....................................................... 218
Students in higher education establishments................................................................. 220
Financing of higher education........................................................................................... 223
Quality assessment and accountability............................................................................ 234
Distance Learning in higher education............................................................................. 238
Governance and management of higher education establishments............................ 243
State co-ordination, long-term planning and state leadership structures................... 246
Research in higher education institutions........................................................................ 247
Summary of recommendations on higher education...................................................... 254
Chapter 8. Future Challenges and Sustaining Reform......................................................... 265
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 265
Ensuring quality................................................................................................................... 266
Ensuring accessibility......................................................................................................... 267
Harmonisation of the educational system....................................................................... 268
Renovation of the infrastructure of the education network........................................... 270
Reforming financing and strengthening school and institutional management.......... 271
Sustaining the momentum of education reform.............................................................. 272
Selected Bibliography............................................................................................................... 275
7
© OECD 2002
Overview of Education Policy Reviews
of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Background of the reviews
This review is one of three on education policy in the Baltic States since they
regained independence in1991.
Methodology
The reviews were undertaken by three separate international teams com-
posed of experts and high ranking officials drawn from OECD Member countries
and Central and Eastern European States. The same rapporteur, however, partici-
pated in each review. Each country provided extensive background data and infor-
mation. To complement the information gathered for these reports and to avoid
duplication, the OECD reviews drew upon reports of the World Bank, the United
Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
the European Training Foundation (ETF) and other European Union (EU) agencies
and the Soros Foundation as well as other non-governmental organisations. A1999
OECD review of economic policy in the Baltic States also provided important
background information for the education policy reviews.1
Importance of the reviews
Education has been a central priority of each of the Baltic States since they
regained independence. It is critical to each country’s transition from a half-
century of Soviet occupation and pervasive impact of Soviet policy, ideology and
command economy. As small countries with limited natural resources, the Baltic
States recognise that human capital is among their most important assets to com-
pete in the global economy. All three Baltic States understand that progressive
education and training policies are essential prerequisites to accession to the
European Union.
The OECD reviews are in-depth analyses of policy affecting all education lev-
els and sectors – from early childhood and pre-school education through the doc-
toral level. While not a specific subject for review, the teams examined science 9
© OECD 2002