Development of education policy in Lithuania during the years of transformations (original) (raw)

National and Supranational Education Policy from a Lithuanian Perspective

The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 2014

T his article deals with the problem of national education policy, which subject to the recommendations of international organizations and supranational powers that observes and control the development of democracy and social movements worldwide , so consequently it is perceived as a new regime. Lithuanian educational changes are discussed using scientific literature interpretation, educational document analysis and meta-analysis of empirical research and applying critical theory instruments for recognition of supranational and local power constructs, identifying the methods of social reproduction in Lithuanian education. The main focus is done on the analysis of contemporary Lithuanian education, which has to survive in the conditions of regimes, when new one is built on the relicts of the Soviet, the old one. Explication of the right wing direction in Lithuanian education policy declaring the progressive tasks, with a fear of the leftist position, especially critical pedagogy, is given. The value of critical pedagogy theory from the perspective of a country experienced in the soviet regime is discussed. When discussing various problems of education, researchers use the concept of educational policy, but often put a very different meaning into it. Traditionally, education policy is understood as education strategies development and implementation or as a set of principles, guidelines, and planned actions necessary to solve particular educational problems and to achieve the desired results. Quite often it is understood as the process of preparing educational documents necessary to ensure the efficacy of the education system (Radó, 2001; Trowler, 2003),

STRATEGIES OF EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE Final Report

2000

The Seminar on Strategies of Educational Reform in Transition Countries tookplace in Bled from 8 to 10 June 2000 with the participation of experts fromAlbania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina andCroatia on one hand and those from other European countries on the other. Itwas jointly organised by the Council of Europe, the Open Society Institute –Slovenia and the Ministry of Education and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia andfinancially supported by the Enhanced Graz Process.The total number of participants amounted to nearly one hundred. They: – were briefed on the essential issues of European educational reforms in thelast decade and– in the light of that discussed the situation, the degree of changes and theneed for further reform measures in the countries of South Eastern Europe.The basic aim of the seminar was to link experts from countries changing (up-grading) their educational systems under rather difficult circumstances and fromthose that have al...

Three Decades of Lithuanian Education: Self-Identity, Achievements, and Challenges

2020

Each state needs to fathom its context in order to shape the future of its education. Education does not exist by itself and is inevitably affected by the political, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions of the country. Therefore, the patchwork of experienced cultural heritage is deeply embedded in the human subconscious and can paint some, or other, educational phenomena in entirely different colors than might be expected.

Concept paper the evolution of policy approaches to educational inequality in hungary and lithuania

2024

Over 30 years after restoring independence and a transition to democratic systems with market economy, post-socialist countries emphasised Western values of freedom and equality, which extended to all policy areas, including education. However, research suggests that transformation of the former socialist bloc have had distinct effects on equity in education depending on contextual variables, requiring a deeper investigation into the education sector. To fill this gap, this concept paper describes the historical policy evolution in a comparative perspective in two post-socialist countries, Hungary and Lithuania, evaluating the period between 1945 until today with a focus on educational inequality. The paper demonstrates the temporal dimension of the shifts in the meaning of educational inequality as a policy concept by analysing how historical legacies of socialism, new narratives during regime change, and the growing influence of global and European values have impacted education policy. Evaluation of recent policy shows a considerable influence of neoliberal policy imperatives on education policy. Overall, the analysis revealed numerous parallels between the two countries, as well as the diverging political trajectories after the regime change, and especially in the post-2010 period.

School education in Lithuania

OECD eBooks, 2016

Lithuania was one of the education systems which opted to participate in the country review strand and host a visit by an external review team. Members of the OECD review team were Claire Shewbridge (OECD Secretariat), coordinator of the review; Katrina Godfrey

Becoming Independent: Renewal of Education in Estonia with Parallels in Latvia and Lithuania

Pedagogy And Educational Sciences In The Post-Soviet Baltic States, 1990–2004: Changes And Challenges, 2020

The article describes the early period (1987–1997) of education renewal in Estonia and other Baltic countries by analysing the timeline of emancipation and influences of participative democracy. The subject of study covers the main activities and ideas, conceptions of (re)creation of a national school, and education in Estonia with some parallels and interactions with Lithuania and Latvia. The problem addressed in the study is the character of educational changes and the nature of the contradictions in these changes. The research method is reflective qualitative documentary research, including publications, oral and written memories, and context and comparative analysis. Conclusions indicate that general use of terms quickly emerged in a paradigm of changing metaphors and keywords: democratisation of education, school autonomy, national education (upbringing), humanisation, pluralism, etc. Wide grassroots participation was rejected by the parallel regime of knowledge/power that had strong influence during this time. Cooperation among Baltic countries influenced the conceptual aspects of national education/school and supported developments during the initial period of renewal and later.

Educational policies in Central and Eastern Europe: legacies of state socialism, modernization aspirations and challenges of semi-peripheral contexts

Policy Futures in Education, 2018

The article introduces a special issue of Policy Futures in Education on changes and challenges in educational policies and systems of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The countries in the region share some characteristics, such as their historical experience with the authoritariansocialist or communist rule and its impact on education policies, as well as their long-lasting economic semi-peripherality. Differences within the region are also discussed in the article: from macro-level economic gaps to relative dissimilarities of education systems' structures, as well as international assessment benchmarks. The articles in this issue present analyses of educational policies in Belarus, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. A theme that emerges most clearly across these texts is the complexity of East-West relationships. Read together, the contributions serve as a call for a more nuanced and contextualized look at CEE. Transformation of educational systems that entails the interplay of past legacies and borrowed policies can bring about troubling outcomes, exacerbated by the entanglement of education in a wider agenda.