Formal and Non Formal Adult Education

Lifelong Learning 2010: Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe: The Contribution of the Education System Subproject 5

The Access of Adults to Formal and Non-Formal Adult Education

Lithuanian Social Research Centre Social Research Institute

Meilute Taljunaite, Liutauras Labanauskas, Jurate Terepaite-Butviliene, Loreta Blazeviciene

Vilnius April 2010

Please cite this report as: Taljunaite M., Labanauskas L. & Terepaite-Butviliene J. (2010), The access of adults to formal and non-formal adult education. Country report: Lithuania. LLL2010 project, Subproject 5. Lithuanian Social Research Centre, Vilnius. This report is part of an international research project ,,Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe: The Contribution of the Education System" (acronym LLL 2010) to reflect state of the results of the research still in progress. The project involves researchers from thirteen countries and regions of Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Ireland, Hugary, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Scotland and Slovenia. Further information on the project is available online The project LLL2010 consists of five Subprojects (SPs). This report is prepared for the Subproject 5. This report has been prepared with co-funding from: The European Commission (contract No. 51 332 with Research Directorate-General).

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CONTENTS

Section 1 / Research questions and methodology_____________________________

1.1. Aim and objectives / research questions ..................................................5 1.2. Methodology 1.2.1. Sample plan ...............................................................................7 1.2.2. Research method and analysis ..........................................................9 1.2.3. Understanding and definition of adult education ...................................10 1.2.4. References ................................................................................11

Section 2 / Formal adult education________________________________________

2.1. Background information on formal adult education in Lithuania

2.2. Case 1: Formal education institution (college) - Vilnius College of Higher Education (VIKO) (State) / Vilnius Business College (VVEK) (Private) 2.2.1. Background information on the Specific Institution in the Case Study ... 2.2.2. The access of adults to formal education (state and private college cases studies integrated) ........................................................................36 2.2.3. Model of good practice: Vilnius College Sign Language Study programme 2.2.4. References

2.3. Case 2: Formal education institution (university) - Vilnius Pedagogical University (VPU)

2.3.1. Background information .........................................................42 2.3.2. The access of adults to formal education: Conclusions ......................58

2.4. Case 3: Vilnius Ozo Secondary school 2.4.1. Background information on the sector in general .............................60 2.4.2. Background Information: Ozo Secondary School ............................62 2.4.3. Conclusions ........................................................................77 2.4.4. Model of good practice: Distance learning at Secondary School ...........78 2.4.5. References ..........................................................................83

2.5. The access of adults to formal education: Conclusions of case studies integrated .................................................83

Section 3 / Non-formal adult education____________________________________

3.1 Background information on non-formal adult education in Lithuania ...............84

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3.2. Case 1: Lithuanian Labour Market Training Authority (LLMTA) ...................84 3.3. Case 2: UAB ,,Lyderio akademija" (Leadership Academy) - a unit of UAB

Eurointegracijos projektai (Eurointergration Projects) (PRIVATE) .............91 3.4. The access of adults to non-formal education (both cases integrated) .............106 3.5. References ..................................................................................108 Section 4 / Prison education___________________________________________ 4.1 Background information on prison education in Lithuania ..........................110

4.2. Case 1: Lukiskes prison 4.2.1. Background information ......................................................111 4.2.2. The access of adults to education in prison ................................112 4.2.3 Conclusions ......................................................................124

Section 5 / _Government department officials____________________________ 5.1. Background information ................................................................125 5.2. Translated interview 1 ...................................................................127 5.3. Translated interview 2 ...................................................................146 Conclusions_______________________________________________________ 162

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SECTION 1 / RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGY

1.1. Aim and objectives / research questions

Unification was characteristic of former Soviet education system including higher education sector (Zelvys, 2005), which was under a very strict control following a certain hierarchical structure. All decisions were made centrally in the Ministry of Education of the former USSR and reached education institutions being transformed into detailed directions and regulations. Such strictly controlled system of higher education had no concern for quality assurance (Zablacke, 2009).

The Lithuanian higher education reform influenced all spheres of this education level: the legal basis and state regulation, the network of higher education institutions, the structure of studies, finances, and international cooperation. Assurance of the quality of higher education studies became one of Lithuanian priorities.

The history of Lithuanian education of the recent fifteen years could be divided into several relative phases (see table 1.1.)

Table 1.1. Five stages of Lithuanian educational strategy

1988-1991

1992-1997

1998-2002

2003-2008

The Concept of National School (education) (formation)

The Concept of Lithuanian Education (implementation)

Approval of the priorities of Educational reform

Approval of the main attitudes towards Provisions of the National Education Strategy 2003- 2012 and there implementation

Since 12th of May 2009

The new Law on Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania come to force

(No.XI-242)

During phase 1, corresponding to the first stage of the Lithuanian education reform, much effort has been expended to reform the contents of education (curricula, textbooks, pedagogy). Centralised changes were introduced to the contents of education of general education schools: it was humanised, shifted to liberal education, modernised, interdisciplinary links were strengthened and efforts were made to move from reproductive pedagogy to interpretative. New guidelines (programmes) of pre- school education were developed. Changes in the tertiary and vocational training curricula were not so steady and even because it was impossible to change them in a centralised way.

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