THE LITHUANIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. THE LITHUANIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

2. THE LITHUANIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Lithuania has 12 years of comprehensive education and three cycles of higher education, including the programmes of Bachelor, Master and the Doctorate.

3. The system of the Lithuanian education consist of: • Formal and higher education • Informal education • Self – education • Help for a pupil • Help for a teacher and school

4. Formal education • Primary • Basic • Secondary • Vocational • College type (post-secondary, former technicums)

5. Primary education • (state, but there are some private schools). Grades 1-4. Compulsary education begins in the first grade through school – kindegartens, primary schools and other schools. There are four grades for children from seven to eleven age range. • The curriculum: Ethics or Religion, a native language, a modern foreign language (English, German, French), Science, Mathematics, Physical Education, Art, Music. • Primary schools have no grade assessment, instead focussing on child's individual progress. Pupils get oral information or brief written description on their achievements. Trimester, semester oracademic year end in round - up evaluation specifying the achieved level: satisfactory, basic or advanced.

6. Basic education • (Junior Secondary education). Grades 5 - 8 or Grades 5-10. It is provided by basic, secondary, youth, vocational schools and gymnasiums. The curriculum: Ethics or Religion, a native language, a modern foreign language (English, German, French), Science, Mathematics, Physical Education, Art, Music. History from Grade 5, the second foreign language (English, German, French, Russian) and Biology from Grade 6, Physics from Grade 7, Chemistry from Grade 8. Education is compulsory until age sixteen.

7. Secondary education • Senior secondary education is state, but there are some private schools. In addition, senior secondary education (Grades 11-12) can be attended at various other types of schools such as secondary, vocational schools and gymnasiums, special schools (for pupils with special needs), adult education institutions, and schools for socially disadvantages pupils. Secondary education programme consists of obligatory and optional general education and possible professional training modules. Secondary education programme, which in addition provides qualification, may last 3 years. Grades 11-12 can take A levels in subjects which they will choose for the future study, other subjects can be taken in B levels. Students follow individual education plans. The programme may include vocational training modules.

8. Vocational education • It is available at the age of 14. Vocational training is designed to develop or acquire skills. Vocational training is provided by vocational schools. Apart from vocational training, vocational schools can provide basic and secondary education. Duration of the programmes may be from two to three years depending on whether the programme is designed to acquire basic or secondary education or if it is adapted for people with special needs. The duration of training for secondary school graduates is from 1 to 2 years. Completion of a training programme followed by examinations leads to acquisition of a certain qualification. Acquisition of secondary education may be followed by further studies at colleges or universities. Higher education schools offer on admission additional points to best achievers and those with practical experience in the field of the acquired qualification.

9. Higher education • Higher education is general, it is available for students who have secondary education. Higher education study programmes are provided by higher education institutions – universities and colleges. There are three cycles of studies: first - professional Bachelor’s or Bachelor’s Degree, second - Master’s, • the third - Doctorate.

10. Assessment • Learning achievements in grades 5-12 in secondary schools as well as in the majority of higher education establishments are assessed as follows: 10(exellent) - 1 (unsatisfactory).