2021

From the 15th of December 2020, when the quarantine requirements were significantly increased, higher education studies have been carried out remotely. Assessing the competence of compulsory practice, practical training, which cannot be done remotely, can be carried but flow management and health safety requirements must be ensured for everyone.

In academic year 2021-2022 contact higher education is available only to those who have been vaccinated, have recovered or have a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test at least 48 hours previously (from the time of sampling).

In the case of COVID-19, a person with confirmed coronavirus infection shall be isolated. All non-immune persons who have been in contact with him must be isolated for 10 days.

2020

From 16 March 2020 Lithuania went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All types of schools and higher education institutions (HEI) were closed. HEI (universities and colleges) also stopped their usual learning process and switched to online studying.

From 25 May HEI were allowed to continue to organise studies in usual way, if other studying ways were impossible. The following safety requirements were set for the renewed regular studying process:

• Adhere to the principle of group isolation. That is, conduct studying in a way so that students from different groups would not mix. For example, plan the directions of movement in the corridors.
• A distance of 1 m must be maintained between students in studying places.
• Premises must be ventilated frequently; frequently touched surfaces must be disinfected.
• General hygiene requirements (wash hands, display sneezing label, etc.) must be observed, hands must be disinfected and adults must wear face protection indoors.
• Assess the health of students and lecturers – measuring temperature and monitoring for signs of infection.

From 1 June, the requirements have been further relaxed: in HEI there was no longer a requirement to maintain a distance of 1 m between each other. It was advised to minimise the students’ flows, to shorten the time of contact, and to wear face masks, respirators or other means to cover the mouth and nose.

Organisation of the 2020–2021 school year in HEI. The higher education institutions started a new school year on 14 September. The admission to HEI ended and study agreements were signed with students only in the first week of September. The study process for this school year begins later due to the delay of Matura examinations due to quarantine. The results of Matura examinations are counted in the entrance score to the HEI.

The new requirements for studying in the HEI were established:

• A distance of 1 m must be maintained between students and students and lecturers. If a distance of at least 2 m cannot be maintained between them, face protection – masks, respirators, etc. – must be worn in indoor spaces. Masks may not be worn by people with disabilities who are unable to wear masks due to their medical condition. If the worker is unable to wear the mask due to his/her health condition or the specifics of the activity performed, other personal protective equipment may be chosen for him/her.
• The principle of group isolation is used in the organising VET provision indoors.
• General hygiene requirements must be observed, the possibility to wash hands with soap or disinfect hands must be ensured.
• People with a fever (37.3 °C and above) or signs of a contagious disease (e.g. runny nose, cough, difficulty breathing) are not allowed to take part in contact activities.
• The health status of staff and students is monitored.
• Participation in studies by contact is prohibited for people who must be in isolation.
• Premises must be ventilated frequently; frequently touched surfaces must be disinfected.
• Catering for the participants is organised in accordance with the requirements for public catering establishments.

In the 2020–2021 school year more students started studying in HEI than the previous year. Almost 20,300 freshmen will start the new academic year (19,300 in 2019), of which almost 13,500 will study in state-funded places with study scholarships (almost 11,800 in 2019). Applicants at universities signed 11,700 study contracts (in 2019 – 10,700), and in colleges – 8,500 contracts (in 2019 – 8,600).

Covid-19 in the HEI institution. If a member of the HEI community is found to be infected with Covid-19, the head of the institution must immediately inform the National Public Health Centre under the Ministry of Health. In collaboration with the supervisor, the people who had contact with the sick person are identified and 14 days of isolation is applied to those in contact. For the contact group, several groups or the whole HEI institution, the studying is continued online.

2019

The higher education competition entrance score will be calculated in 10-point grading scale

Starting 2019, the higher education competition entrance score will be calculated in 10-point grading scale. The competition entrance score will range from 4 to 10. New conversion will reflect better achievements of a graduate.

So far, the competition entrance score consisted of three different grading scales: a 10-point school grading scale, a 100-point state exams grading scale and a 10-point entry examination grading scale. The latter did not coincide with the 10-point school grading scale. Moreover, the 100-point state exams grading scale will be converted to a 10-point grading scale using a set formula.

Due to state exams grading scale conversion, a numeric value of a minimal competition entrance score changes. In 2018, the minimal competition entrance score was set to 3.6. Now it is converted to 5.4. The minimal college competition entrance score is converted from 2 to 4.3.

Lithuania joins science classification system used worldwide

Minister of education, science and sport[1] approved a new Fields of Science and Field of Arts Classifications. With this document Lithuania progresses to science classification system used by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (hereinafter OECD).

By unifying the systems, medical sciences are excluded into separate field of medical and health sciences. So far, medical sciences belonged to the field of biomedicine science. Other biomedicine sciences along with physical sciences become natural sciences.

The unification of classification systems will help facilitate collection of statistics. It will enable improved comparison of Lithuanian and other countries’ scientific achievements. It will also facilitate international scientific cooperation.