Curriculum, subjects, number of hours
Lower secondary education and VET in VET institutions (when pupils gain both a profession and general education), are organised according to plans of general education and VET for the specific school year and curriculum descriptions. In the 2017/2018 school year, the following are used: General Plan of the Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education Curriculum for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, Description of Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education Curriculum, General Plan of the Vocational Education and Training Curriculum for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, Description of Formal Vocational Education and Training Curriculum and other legal acts. The Minister of Education, Science and Sport approves these legal acts. The VET institution prepares its curriculum according to these documents.
Preparation of VET institution’s curriculum
The VET institution prepares its own curriculum for the implementation of general education and VET in accordance with the above-mentioned legal acts. The school’s curriculum describes the implementation of education contents, provides solutions on how to organise the education process, how to evaluate pupil achievements, how to organise practice etc. It is recommended that a working group composed of representatives of the school’s community be formed to prepare the school’s curriculum. The VET provider approves the school’s curriculum before the 1st of September of the school year.
Lower secondary education and VET: subjects and number of hours
The duration of a VET programme with the lower secondary education programme is 3 years. The implementation of the lower secondary education programme is coordinated with the implementation of the VET programme.
According to the general education curriculum and general plans, numbers of hours allocated to the field or subject during the course or courses.
Area of curriculum/ subjects | Number of hours in courses I–II courses | Number of hours in course III | Number of hours in courses I–III |
|---|---|---|---|
Total hours for VET and lower secondary education subjects and curricula for 2017/2018 school year | 2236 2308* | 1248 | 3484 3556* |
Total hours for VET and lower secondary education subjects and curricula for 2018/2019 school year | 2265 2339* | 1248 | 3513 3587* |
*for groups that are taught in an ethnic minority language.
The minimum number of obligatory lessons per week is 33 (35*) for each pupil.
At least 10 hours (lessons) per school year are dedicated to social and public activity.
From 30 to 60 hours per school year are dedicated to cognitive cultural activity.
- 242 (207*) lessons in total per courses I and II are dedicated to meeting the pupil’s educational needs and achieving a satisfactory level of separate subjects of grade 9 (gymnasium I).
120 hours in total per courses I-III are dedicated to non-formal education.
While educating competencies required for the profession, lifelong learning abilities are also developed. Critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem solving, decision-making and constructive management of emotions are taught with general abilities.
Lower secondary education programme implemented with the VET programme in a VET institution
According to the general plans, approves by the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, numbers of hours allocated to the field or subject during the course or courses.
Area of curriculum / subjects | Number of hours in courses I–II | Number of hours in course III | Number of hours in courses I–III | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General education
| Number of hours per week | 2017/2018 school year / 2018/2019 school year | |||
Area of curriculum / subjects | |||||
Moral education (ethics or religion) | 1 | 36/37 |
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| |
Languages | |||||
Lithuanian language and literature | 5; 4 | 164/168 |
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| |
Mother tongue (Belorussian, Polish, Russian, German)* | 4 | 144/148 |
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First foreign language | 3 | 108/111 |
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| |
Second foreign language** | 2 | 72/74 |
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Math and information technologies | |||||
Math | 4; 3 | 128/131 |
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Information technologies | 1 | 36/37 |
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Natural sciences | |||||
Biology | 1; 2 | 52/54 |
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Physics | 2 | 72/74 |
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Chemistry | 2 | 72/74 |
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Social education | |||||
History | 2 | 72/74 |
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Basics of citizenship | 1 | 36/37 |
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Economics and entrepreneurship*** | 1*** | 36/37*** |
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Geography | 1; 2 | 52/54 |
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Artistic education | |||||
Art | 1 | 36/37 |
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Music | 1 | 36/37 |
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Physical education and human safety | |||||
Physical education | 2 | 72/74 |
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Human safety*** | 0,25*** | 9/9*** |
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| |
Total hours for lower secondary education subjects for 2017/2018 school year |
29;31* |
1044/1116* |
| 1044/1116* | |
Total hours for lower secondary education subjects for 2018/2019 school years |
| 1073/1147* |
| 1116/1147* | |
*for groups that are taught in an ethnic minority language;
**Except group that are taught in an ethnic minority language;
***Integrated into the content of another subject. The lower secondary education programme ‘Economics and entrepreneurship’ is integrated into the content of the VET subject ‘Basics of economics and business’. The general programme of ‘Human safety’ is integrated into the content of the VET subject ‘Civil safety’; a minimum 9 lessons in course I are dedicated for this;
****The Technologies subject in lower secondary education is replaced by the subjects or module(-s) of the VET programme.
***** There are no general education subjects in course III because the learning time is spent on internship in a real workplace or sectorial centre.
VET programme implemented with the lower secondary education programme in a VET institution
According to the general plans, approves by the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, numbers of hours allocated to the field or subject during the course or courses.
|
Area of curriculum / subjects | Number of hours in courses I–II | Number of hours in course III | Number of hours in courses I–III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VET |
| |||||||
For VET programmes |
| |||||||
Theoretical and practical training |
|
| 1502 |
| ||||
For practical training in real work place or sectorial centre |
| 600 | 600 |
| ||||
General VET subjects | 338 |
| ||||||
Civil safety | 20 |
| 20 |
| ||||
Basics of economics and business
| (I course): minimum 36 minimum 37 |
| 80 |
| ||||
Aesthetics |
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| 20 |
| ||||
Professional information technologies |
|
| 70 |
| ||||
Culture of Lithuanian language and language of profession |
|
| 40 |
| ||||
Physical education | (course II): 68 | 40 | 108 |
| ||||
Total hours for VET subjects | 1192 | 1248 | 2440 |
| ||||
Remarks: it is recommended that some subjects from the general VET programme be included – IT in profession, culture of Lithuanian language and language of profession, aesthetics – in course II or III.
The VET institution can determine a different distribution of the VET programme hours in courses I-III provided the institution stays within the limits of the funds allocated to it and the allowable learning load for pupils.
Practical training covers 60-70% of the hours allocated for VET subjects. The practical training takes place in the final year. It takes place in an enterprise, institution, organisation, farm etc. Practice may be continuous or split into separate parts. Before starting the practice, the student must have completed practice-related training programmes and have received a satisfactory assessment of the above-mentioned programmes.
Teaching methods and materials
The VET institution’s general education teachers and VET teachers have the right to choose the ways and means of organising their teaching activities.
More detailed information about teaching methods and materials used by general education teachers are provided in sub-chapter 6.2.2. ‘Teaching Methods and Materials’.
More detailed information about teaching methods and materials used by VET teachers are provided in sub-chapter 6.14.2. ‘Teaching Methods and Materials’.