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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in early childhood education and care

Lithuania

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.1National reforms in early childhood education and care

Last update: 27 November 2023

2023

No reforms.

2022

No reforms.

2021

ECEC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 14th of December 2020 quarantine conditions were severely tightened, with the number of cases of COVID-19 approaching more than 2,000 per day and the number of deaths at around 50 per day. With the tightening of the quarantine, general education pupils were released on Winter Holidays, all non-food stores were closed. Only services lasting less than 15 minutes could be provided. However, early childhood education and care continued irrespective of the level of restrictions imposed. Parents wereadvised not to send their children to educational institutions if they can avoid it. But if parents were not working remotely or were unable to work remotely and look after their children, they could send their children to educational institutions.

With the roll-out of the vaccination programme, pre-school and pre-primary educators were among the first to be vaccinated after front-line healthcare workers. Vaccination is not mandatory but is highly recommended. In March 2020, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases of the People was revised; the law stipulates that specialists in certain fields are allowed to work only if they have been assessed and / or periodically assessed for a communicable disease for which a state extreme situation has been declared and / or quarantine. The government has found that educators fall within this field. If an educator has had COVID-19 or has already been vaccinated (started the process of vaccination), he / she does not have to undergo a preventive check-up for COVID-19 disease for some time.

2021-2022 school year in pre-school and pre-primary education was started in a contact manner, in compliance with basic safety conditions. Non-immune employees are required to be tested regularly in accordance with government procedures.

In cases of COVID-19 at pre-school and pre-primary education institution, a person who is confirmed to have a coronavirus infection is isolated. Isolation is applied to the staff of the institution in the usual way - unvaccinated and non-recovered employees of the institution are isolated for 10 days, and all students participate in the educational process.