4. PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
• Before starting their primary education, children could be educated at home and/or by
pre-school education institutions. There are two distinct stages of formal pre-school
education:
• Pre-school education for children aged 6 and younger has been mandatory since 2016;
• Pre-primary education for children from 6 to 7 years (in exceptional cases from 5 to
7).
• The goal of pre-school education is to satisfy and develop a child’s social and
cognitive needs. It is offered by nurseries, nursery-kindergartens, kindergartens,
kindergarten-schools, etc.
• The pre-primary education is designed to assist a child to prepare for school and to
equalize the level of knowledge of all preschool pupils. The curriculum of this stage
can be offered at schools of general education or by other education providers.
• The curriculum of pre-primary education is standardized, while the curriculum of pre-
school education is more individualized, designed by schools.
5. PRIMARY EDUCATION
(1-4 GRADES)
• Primary education is compulsory. It lasts for 4 years, from 7 to 10 (in
exceptional cases from 6 to 10). The purpose of primary education
programme is the development of a healthy, active, and creative child who
has acquired elementary literacy, social, informational and cognitive skills,
which are necessary for proceeding to basic (lower secondary) education.
• The programme consists of the following subjects: moral education
(religion or ethics), languages (mother tongue and first foreign language),
mathematics, perception of the world, arts (drawing, music, dance), and
physical education. Schools may also choose to offer non-traditional
curricula based on Montessori, Waldorf, Suzuki.
Pupil assessment may take any form, depending on the teacher, such as
notes, reviews, and descriptions. However, no grades are given at this
stage.
• After successful completion of the primary education programme, pupils are
awarded Primary Education Certificate.
6. BASIC EDUCATION
(5-10 grades)
• Basic education is compulsory and lasts for 6 years (ages 11 to 17). The purpose of basic education
program is to provide an individual with the basics of moral, socio-cultural and civic maturity,
general literacy and the basics of technological literacy, to cultivate national consciousness, to
foster an intent and ability to make decisions and choices and to continue learning.
• The programme consists of two stages: first stage is with 4 years duration (5th – 8th grades) and
the second stage is with 2 years duration (9th – 10th grades, I-II grades in gymnasium). The
purpose of first stage is to integrate the basics of knowledge, abilities and skills. The second stage
is oriented to education of abstract thinking.
Since the 9th grade (I grade in gymnasium), student can choose subjects or modules of subjects
depending on abilities and interests. The second foreign language is compulsory since 6th grade
but can be started to learn in the 5th grade too.
• Basic (lower secondary) education is offered by basic schools, pre-gymnasiums, special schools,
etc.
• Pupils who complete basic education are awarded Basic Education Certificate. The certificate
provides right to upper secondary education or vocational training programmes.
7. Upper secondary education (III-IV grades in
gymnasium)
• Secondary education is made available to everybody who has successfully
completed basic education. It lasts for 2 years (ages 17/18 to 18/19). The purpose
of secondary education is to assist a person in the acquisition of general academic,
socio-cultural and technological literacy, moral, national and civic maturity.
• Upper secondary education is offered by gymnasiums, special schools, vocational
schools, etc.
• The core of the secondary program consists of the following subjects: moral
education (religion or ethics), languages (mother tongue and foreign languages),
mathematics, social education (history, geography, or an integrated social sciences
course), natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry, or an integrated natural
sciences course), arts (drawing, music, dance, theatre, or modern arts), information
technologies, technologies, and physical education. The choice of subjects for
each pupil is based on individuality and differentiation.
8. Upper secondary education (III-IV grades in
gymnasium)
• After pupils complete secondary education curriculum, they have to take
leaving examinations, which are of two types: state-level and school-level.
School-level examinations are held and assessed at school, while state-level
examinations are held and assessed at National Examination Centres. Up
until 2010, all state-level examinations had an equivalent examination at
school-level. From 2010, the following examinations are offered:
• State and school level: Lithuanian
• State level: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Information Technology,
Mathematics, Foreign languages (English, French, Russian, German),
Geography (offered only as school-level in 2010-2011).
• School level: Native language (Belorussian, Polish, Russian, German),
Arts, Musicology, Technologies.
• All pupils have to take an obligatory examination in the Lithuanian
Language, which consists of two parts, and 1 elective examination.
9. Upper secondary education (III-IV grades in
gymnasium)
• As in basic education, assessment at school as well as in the school-
level examinations is criterion-referenced. A 10 point scale is used
with 10 as the highest mark and 4 as the lowest passing mark.
• Until 2013, the results of the state-level examinations were norm-
referenced rated on a 1–100 point scale. Since 2013, a criterion-
referenced grading is being gradually introduced for state-level
examinations with 100 as the highest mark and 16 as the lowest
passing mark.
• Pupils who successfully complete the secondary education curriculum
and pass the required examinations are awarded Maturity Certificate
which gives access to higher education in Lithuania.
10. VOCATIONAL TRAINING
• Vocational education training (VET) programmes are provided by
VET schools, VET centres, labour market training centres or other
institutions which have the right to provide VET. The names of those
institutions may vary.
• Pupils who complete VET programmes and pass final examination
consisting of theoretical and practical parts are awarded Vocational
Education Training Diploma, VET diploma since March 2015. The
diploma provides right to work according to the obtained qualification.
11. VOCATIONAL TRAINING
• Vocational Qualification Certificate issued by VET provider together
with Competences Assessment Certificate issued by an accredited
institution were used to be award after completion of VET programme
and passed final examination in period from December 2012 to March
2015. Up to that period, VET centres diplomas and other educational
documents could be awarded after completion of VET programmes.
• Vocational qualifications awarded after the completion of VET
programmes may vary depending on the programme’s curriculum. As
an examples could be: Environmental protection worker, Painter,
Builder, Plumber, Interior decorator, Bread products baker, etc.
