2024

From 2024, Lithuanian school graduates who pass the matriculation examinations will receive a digital Matriculation Certificate in Lithuanian and English. 

This is enshrined in the amended Procedure for the Issuance of Certificates and Matriculation Certificates which will enter into force on 15 May 2024.

The Matriculation Certificates can be accessed (viewed, downloaded and printed) at the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications. Certificates are deemed to have been issued when registered in the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications (by allocating a registration number) after the school prepares such certificates. 

To have the Matriculation Certificate approved by a notary public, it must be first downloaded and printed from the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications and signed by the school principal, either by hand or electronically, and stamped with the school seal. Afterwards, a notary public certifies the Matriculation Certificate by issuing the Apostille.

The amended Procedure has also changed the form of the certificate of learning achievement issued to a person holding the Matriculation Certificate who has additionally taken or retaken the Matriculation Exams (to obtain a higher score) and/or completed the specific subject course (to obtain a higher annual evaluation).

2023

Stricter measures to enforce school attendance

Amendments to the Law on Education have strengthened the enforcement of school attendance.

Schools must inform parents/guardians on the same day of any absence—from school or an individual lesson—of a pupil enrolled in a general education programme, unless the parents/guardians have notified the school in advance of the child’s absence. The law also imposes an obligation on the school to inform the state’s Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, of cases where the parents (guardians, or custodians), do not ensure the child’s obligation to attend school until the age of 16.

As of 1 September, parents are legally required to explain up to five days per month due to illness. If more days are missed, a document justifying the pupil’s illness or a visit to the doctor is required.

Unified admission system

Amendments to the Law on Education have changed the way applications for admission are submitted, moving from the previously decentralised, district-by-district practice to a single, online application platform.

The public body Mokausi Lietuvoje will administer a centralised admissions system for all pre-school, pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, non-formal children’s education, and formal, supplementary education programmes. As there will be no more paper applications, those who do not have a computer or other facilities at home will be able to submit their applications through the system at the municipality.

The platform will also provide information on education providers, education programmes, admission conditions and the results of admissions.

From 1 May 2023, digital certificates, including maturity certificates, are issued in Lithuania

General education certificates and maturity certificates are issued in the Republic of Lithuania according to the Order of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport On the Approval of the Procedure for the Issuance of Certificates and Maturity Certificates.

Digital (electronic) certificates and maturity certificates are prepared based on the information system tools of the Register of School Pupils and the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications, and are accessible (can be viewed, downloaded from an email and/or printed) in the the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications.

Certificates and maturity certificates are deemed to have been issued when they are registered in the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications (by allocating a registration number) after the school prepares such certificates. The school principal certifies the transfer of the data/records to the register with his electronic signature and is responsible for the accuracy of the data/records in the certificates and maturity certificates.

A numerical code and a QR code are specified in the last table in the certificate and the maturity certificate. The school may provide this code to the pupil if the pupil cannot access the Electronic Government Gateway to download (or view) their certificate and/or maturity certificate. Other persons, national and foreign authorities, may check the fact of issuance of the certificate, the authenticity of the data, etc. by using the code and/or QR code with the consent of the owner of the certificate or maturity certificate (login link: https://www.dakpr.smm.lt/aikos2-dakpr/edocSearch.xhtml) in accordance with legal acts for ensuring the security of personal data.

More information on how to issue digital certificates and maturity certificates, how to download, view or print the certificates and/or maturity certificates, etc. for students and their parents/foster parents/guardians by logging into the information system of the Register of Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications is available on the website of the National Agency for Education.

Form of Matura certificate

2022

General Education Curriculum

On 25 May 2022, the Minister of Education, Science and Sports approved the Description of the Procedure for Assessing the Compliance of Textbooks and Teaching Aids with Legislation and the Provision of General Education Subjects.

The changed provisions of the procedure make the quality of the content of textbooks and teaching aids the responsibility of their publishers. It specifies the responsibilities of the National Education Agency, the rights and duties of the school owner and the duties of the school head when making decisions concerning the provision of textbooks and teaching aids within schools.

Adopted in 2022, and implemented from 1 September 2023, an updated general curricula will be introduced in Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 (Gymnasium I), and Gymnasium III, and for the remaining grades, from 1 September 2024. The decision to update the content of the curriculum was based on changes in education, taking into account the latest developments in science, the results of international studies, the national achievement test results, and recommendations from experts within international organisations. The updated curricula follows a competence-orientated educational trend. This means that the aim will be, not only to acquire knowledge, but also the ability to apply it and acquire more of the skills needed in the modern world. The intention is to develop cognitive, digital, social, emotional skills, and a healthy lifestyle, creativity, civic responsibility and cultural and communication competences.

The learning content in the updated programmes is presented with a distinction between compulsory content (about 70 %) and optional content (about 30 %), which is chosen by the teacher according to the students’ abilities and in coordination with other teachers. The proportion of this division may vary according to the level of education, the logic of the subject, the objectives and the teaching tradition.