Geographical accessibility

The formation of a school network and transportation are the two main measures that help pupils to acquire a primary education in schools that are closer to home. Schools are also allowed to have dormitories for pupils who live outside the school’s service area.

School network

Demographic reasons and migration make it necessary to constantly review the school network. The total number of pupils studying in grades 1 to 4 has changed slightly compared to 2010. In the 2010-2011 academic year it was 115 635 pupils, and in the 2017-2018 school year this had risen to 116 626 pupils. The decline in the number of pupils in rural areas and the corresponding rise in the number of pupils in the cities and towns is becoming a challenge. In the 2010-2011 academic year, 87 069 pupils followed primary curriculum in urban areas, rising to 95 217 in the 2017-2018 year. Respectively, 28 566 pupils followed the primary curriculum in rural areas in 2010-2011, declining to 21 409 in the 2017/2018 academic year.[i]

Currently the school network in Lithuania is planned according to the Rules for the Development of the Network of Schools Implementing the Formal Education Curriculum (Mokyklų, vykdančių formaliojo švietimo programas, tinklo kūrimo taisyklės). This document was adopted by the Government on 29 June 2011. These rules establish networking provisions, procedures for developing general plans and for establishing, reorganising and closing schools. The network of schools must be created in order to provide accessible, good quality, compulsory and universal education at a reasonable price, which is affordable for the state and for municipalities. The municipality manages the network of municipal schools. Municipalities can cooperate in managing their school networks, but so far this is not common practice.

During the creation of a school network, the educational needs and the situation of the schools in a given area that are under different subordination are analysed. The school’s prospects are evaluated and the placement of schools and their diversity are analysed.

The aim is that education for the youngest pupils can take place closer to home. Consequently, schools are joined if there is a small number of pupils. They can continue to operate in the same premises as the structural units of the school concerned, for example primary education divisions or branches. In rural areas where the number of pupils is small, two or more schools can operate in the same building. Schools that have free space can change their designation and become school-multifunctional centres.

Transportation

In order to ensure that children in urban areas and rural areas have equal access to appropriate education, the free transportation of children is organized. In accordance with the law, all children living in rural areas and small towns located more than three kilometres from the school must be transported to school and back. They are transported to the nearest school that conducts the appropriate educational curriculum. Some pupils are transported by public, school or private transport. A pupil who has a pupil’s certificate can travel on the route specified in the pupil’s certificate for free. The institution that has the status of owner compensates the expenses of transportation.

A programme of supply of yellow school buses has been implemented since 2008. Its purpose is to improve the transportation for pupils who live in remote areas to the nearest schools. These buses are also designed to carry pupils with special educational needs. The programme is funded from the state budget.

Accommodation

A general education school can have a dormitory. In many cases, schools that accept children from a broader area or even the entire country have dormitories. If the pupil lives in an area that is not assigned to the school, he/she can reside in the school dormitory at the request of the parents or guardians. The school principal determines the procedure for admission to the school dormitory. Living in the dormitory is free, while the parents or guardians pay for the child’s catering expenses.

Admission requirements and choice of school

The child begins compulsory education in accordance with the primary education curriculum in the calendar year when he/she turns 7 years of age. Parents can allow a child to be educated from 5 years of age according to the pre-primary education programme. In this case, the child can begin to learn under the primary education curriculum one year earlier. Institutions do not consider the maturity of a child in order to learn in accordance with the primary education curriculum. A child under the age of 16 cannot terminate compulsory education programmes.

The Law on Education specifies that parents and the pupil have the right to choose a school − state, municipal or non-state. Also they can change the school. Parents can also choose how to develop a child with special educational needs − in a special educational institution or in a general education school according to the personalized education curriculum (taking into account the recommendations of specialists and pedagogical psychological services).

General requirements and priorities

The pupil is admitted to study under the primary education programme in accordance with the General Admission Criteria (Priėmimo į valstybinę ir savivaldybės bendrojo ugdymo mokyklą, profesinio mokymo įstaigą bendrieji priėmimo kriterijai) adopted by the Minister for Education and Science. The institution that has the status of owner sets out a specific admission procedure. It is recommended that the admission procedure be centralized, using the one-stop shop principle, for example electronically, where a person can submit all the necessary documents. 

Territory

Priority admission to municipal or state general education schools to follow the primary education curriculum is given to those living in the area assigned to those schools. The institution that has the status of owner defines the assigned territory. If vacancies remain, pupils who do not live in the assigned territory can be admitted too. In this case, priority belongs to:

•     students with inherited or acquired disabilities and whose special educational needs must be fulfilled

•     pupils who have brothers or sisters already attending the school

•     pupils living closer to the school

Examination of knowledge

During the admission period, exams, tests or other methods for checking knowledge and skills cannot be performed, except in a few cases. Knowledge testing can only be applied if pupils are admitted to study at arts, crafts or sports schools, and with the separate permission of the institution with the status of owner or its authorized representative to implement the admission of pupils using a competition.

Motivation

There are general education schools that implement separate elements of a unique pedagogical system, for example Waldorf Pedagogy Education, Catholic Education, Classical Education, etc.  Pupils may go to these schools from the entire territory of the municipality according to their free decision and the decision of their parents. If the number of pupils willing to study is higher than the number of vacancies, admission is based on the results of a motivation assessment, assessed on the basis of a submitted motivation application.

Special educational needs

Pupils with large and very high special educational needs are admitted to state and municipal general schools for pupils with special educational needs and to general education school classes for students with special needs.

Age levels and grouping pupils

Pupils’ age

Primary school is designated for children aged 6 or 7 to 10 years. Pupils of the same age study in one class. A difference of about one year is permissible, depending on whether the child started school at the age of 6 or 7). 

Distribution of primary education programme

The primary education programme consists of 4 years (grades 1 to 4). This consists of two concentres. The duration of every concentre is 2 years. One study year equates to a grade.

General education schools can offer preparatory classes for pupils with special educational needs. This is an additional year for studying the programmes of grades 1 and 2 using a longer period of time.

Teachers

In primary grades, one teacher teaches all subjects. If the teacher lacks the required qualifications, for example to teach a foreign language, dancing methodology, etc., these subjects are taught by subject teachers. Specialists (a psychologist, speech therapist, special educator, etc.) and teachers’ assistants provide educational support in the primary education programme. The primary education teacher integrates the activities of all educators into the overall process.

Usually the same teacher teaches the same pupils throughout the 4 years, beginning with grade 1 and finishing with grade 4.

Class size

In grades 1 to 4, the number of pupils in a class must be at least 8 and no more than 24 pupils. The size of a particular class also depends on the location (small town or municipality centre), the type of school and the school size[ii].

If the number of pupils is low at the school, the school administration may decide to join classes together, in which case it is recommended to join adjacent classes. It is possible to combine two or even three classes. Two classes can be joined up to a maximum of 18 pupils, three classes to no more than 15[iii].

One pupil with considerable or great special educational needs is equated to two pupils without any impairment learning in the same class in a mainstream general education school. Accordingly, the maximum number of pupils in the classroom can be also reduced. A joint class or the class of a mainstream general education school may have no more than three pupils recognised as having considerable or great special education needs (this number applies when forming new classes and joint classes)[iv].

Class division for curriculum

The class can be divided into groups for the implementation of the school curriculum. Temporary (mobile) groups from several classes of students for learning specific subjects can also be formed.

The class is divided when:

• pupils of the same grade study religion and ethics

• teaching Lithuanian at an ethnic minority school, where there are at least 18 pupils in the class
• teaching Lithuanian in a joint class at an ethnic minority school, in which two classes are joined and there are no less than 12 pupils in the class, or where three classes are joined and there are no less than 10 pupils in the class (if the school has enough learning resources)

• teaching Lithuanian at a school in a multilingual environment, with at least 18 students in the classroom
• teaching Lithuanian in a joint class of a school in a multilingual environment, in which two classes are joined and there are no less than 12 pupils in the class, or where three classes are joined and there are no less than 10 pupils in the class (if the school has enough learning resources)

• teaching a foreign language with at least 20 pupils in the classroom and if the school has enough learning resources.

Temporary groups from pupils of several classes may be made:

• for moral education (religion, ethics)
• to teach the native language of an ethnic minority
• to teach the foreign language
• to develop physical education for pupils with special educational needs (special medical physical fitness groups)
• for group counselling, teaching aids or other educational activities aimed at addressing school-relevant educational issues (for example, talented pupils, pupils with learning difficulties)
• for the provision of special pedagogical assistance.  

Organisation of the school year

Length of the school year and educational process

The school year is organized in accordance with the general plan of the primary education curriculum for a specific year, adopted by the Minister for Education and Science. The 2020-2021 school year is organized according to the General Plan of the Primary Education Curriculum for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 (2019–2020 ir 2020–2021 mokslo metų pradinio ugdymo programos bendrasis ugdymo planas).). 

The school year begins on 1 September and ends on 31 August of the current year. The school distributes educational and holiday days for one year. Usually, pupils start their summer holidays in June, which last until 1 September. In order to improve pupils’ achievements, the school year has been extended. In the 2020-2021 academic year, the duration of the educational process for primary school pupils was  175 school days.

Holidays

Pupils have their holidays in the autumn, at Christmas, in the winter and at Easter. During these holidays the school staff continue to work. The total duration of these holidays is no more than 17 school days. Public holidays are not included in the holiday periods. It is recommended to give pupils holidays for at least every 7 to 8 weeks of education. The school principal determines the exact holiday dates. Summer holidays are provided after the educational process, usually starting in June.

Division of the educational process

The school year is divided into trimesters, semesters and other periods. The school principal in agreement with the school council determines the lengths of the education periods.

The main format for an educational process is a lesson. The duration of an academic hour or lesson is 35 minutes in grade 1 and 45 minutes in grades 2 to 4. The school can also choose other forms of organization for the educational process, for example integrated activities, creative workshops, projects, etc. 

Minimum number of education hours per week:

Grade 1 - 22/25*

Grade 2 - 23/27*

Grade 3 - 24/27*

Grade 4 - 23/28*

*At school, in which teaching is organised in an ethnic minority language