UKMERGĖ DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY ADMINISTRATION November 2011 Julita Lopatienė

 Development of the current system of education in the Republic of Lithuania started in the 1990s.  Since 2003, the education system covers: preschool (ikimokyklinis) general secondary (bendrasis vidurinis) vocational (profesinis) junior college (aukštesnysis) higher (aukštasis) adult education (suaugusiųjų švietimas)  Education is compulsory until 16  Education at state and municipality schools, vocational schools and junior colleges is free of charge  The school year starts on September 1st

Education is offered at:  preschool education establishments (ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaiga)  schools of general education (bendrojo lavinimo mokykla)  institutions (įstaiga)  enterprises (įmonė) of vocational education (profesinis mokymas)  junior colleges (aukštesnioji mokykla)  higher education institutions (aukštoji mokykla)  institutions of complementary and non-formal education (papildomo ugdymo ir neformaliojo švietimo įstaiga)

 Primary stage  Type of school – Primary School (Pradinė mokykla)  Length of curriculum - 4 years  Age level  Basic First Stage  Type of school: Lower Secondary School (Pagrindinė mokykla) Secondary School (Vidurinė mokykla) Youth school (Jaunimo mokykla)  Length of curriculum – 6 years  Age level –  Certificate/diploma awarded Certificate of Lower Secondary Education (Pagrindinės mokyklos baigimo pažymėjimas (PMP))

 Senior Secondary Stage  Type of school: Secondary school (Vidurinė mokykla) Gymnasium (Gimnazija) Lyceum (Licéjus), International baccalaureate school (IB) (Tarptautinio bakalaureato mokykla)  Length of curriculum – 2 years  Age level –  Certificate/diploma awarded Maturity Certificate (Brandos atestatas)

 Type of school: Vocational school (Profesinė mokykla) Technological gymnasium (Technologijų gimnazija) Youth school (Jaunimo mokykla)  Age level –  Certificate/diploma awarded  Type of school Junior college (Aukštesnioji mokykla)  Length of program – 3 years  Age level – Admission to Junior Colleges stopped in 2003.

 2 types of higher education (HI) institutions: universities colleges  In university-type institutions (akademija; seminarija; aukštoji mokykla) university-level studies dominate  In colleges - non-university-level studies dominate  HI can be of 2 types: state non-state (institutions can carry out their practice according to a licence issued by the Government)  HI is provided by 35 higher education institutions (HEI): 15 state university level institutions 7 state non-university HEI 4 non-state university level HEI 9 non-state non-university level HEI.

 Non-university-level studies are organized in one-cycle undergraduate studies  University-level studies are organized in three cycles: first cycle (undergraduate) (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the field of the specialization) second cycle (graduate) (Master’s degree) third cycle (post-graduate) (trains researchers; art teachers, artists and medical practitioners)  Studies follow curricula registered by the Ministry of Education and Science  3 modes of study: daytime, evening and extra- mural

Admission  To apply to undergraduate programmes, the student must hold a Maturity Certificate or equivalent education certificate  To apply to graduate programmes, the student must hold a Bachelor or equivalent degree  To apply to post-graduate studies, the student must hold a Master or equivalent degree in the selected field  Admission to all cycles takes place on a competitive basis according to the admission rules set up by the higher education institution and validated by the Ministry of Education and Science Academic year: Sep – Jun Languages of instruction: Lithuanian, English