The Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania regulates issues related to the administration and management of education.

Municipal institutions (representative[1] and/or executive[2]), implement the national education policy in the municipality. 

The institution representing the municipality implements national education policy. It plans measures and projects, establishes, reorganizes, and closes education departments in the municipality administration, creates the conditions for compulsory education of children, forms a network of educational institutions (providing preschool, pre-primary, primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary education, non-formal education programmes for children and adults) and a network of non-formal education providers. It also initiates the formation of a network of vocational training and adult education providers that meets the needs of the residents. 

The executive municipality institution ensures the implementation of national education policy, organizes pre-school, pre-primary, general education, vocational training and vocational guidance, other non-formal education for children, non-formal education for adults, the certification of teachers in municipal schools, the certification of educational support specialists, assessment of the learning achievements of pupils in local schools, free transportation to and from school for pupils living in its territory, organizes and coordinates the provision of educational support to pupils, teachers, families, schools, the implementation of minimum child care measures, ensures the implementation of prevention programmes in schools, sets up contracts with psychological assistance providers who deliver educational assistance, organises and manages the registration of children living in the municipality, ensures that all children attend compulsory education programmes, analyses the state of education and provides information on this to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Each municipal administration has a department (departments) responsible for the activities of educational institutions in a particular municipality.

In order to promote society’s participation in shaping and implementing education policy, the municipal education council and councils for the concrete education sphere must be established. The pupils, teachers, parents (foster parents), social partners, education providers and/or their associations are represented on the municipal education council. This council approves the statute of the municipal education council. It also analyses how the municipality implements national education policy, approves long-term education goals and garners society to reach these goals.

The institution implementing the rights and obligations of the school owner or its authorised institution is responsible for solving administrative and management matters. It establishes the procedure for admission to state and municipal schools, is responsible for the quality of education together with the education provider, closes, reorganises or reforms schools, supervises school activities, initiates external school evaluations, assesses learning achievements, allocates funds to state and municipal schools, ensures the accessibility of education in schools for pupils with special educational needs, organises the transport of pupils to and from school, decides on the non-formal education provided in schools as part of formal education, etc.

The head of the educational institution organizes their activities by implementing the strategic management of the educational institution and submits the annual activity report to the school community and council for consideration, approves the school’s strategic and annual activity plan, organizes self-assessment and monitoring of the educational institution’s activities, analyses the state of resources. The head, is responsible for the results of the educational institution’s activities, hires and dismisses teachers, implements personnel management measures, creates opportunities and encourages employees, ensuring their professional development and compliance with the standards of the Code of Ethics for Teachers. They will also respond to on-site incidents of violence, cooperate with pupils’ parents, the local community, and partners to achieve the goals of the educational institution, cooperates with institutions, agencies, companies, and organizations to ensure the effective management of the institution, the quality of education, and pupils safety, and performs other functions specified in the statutes of the educational institution and other legislation.

Self-governing bodies of the school collectively discuss issues of school activity and funding and, within the scope of their competence defined in the statute of the school, adopt and influence the decisions of the head of the school and perform public supervision of the school’s management. The variety and competence of self-governance bodies and the principles of their establishment are defined in the statute of the school.

The School Council is a school’s highest self-governing body, representing the pupils, teachers, parents (foster parents, guardians) and local community. The council reports its activity to the members of the school community who have elected them.

[1] The representative of a municipality institution is the Municipality Council [2] An executive of a municipality institution is a municipality mayor.