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International opinion

By Pat Costine (July 2004 Issue)
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With the recent publicity surrounding the expansion of the EU member states, this may be considered an opportune time to share a recently acquired insight into aspects of vocational education and training in one of the accession countries. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be selected as a participant on a Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) study visit to Lithuania. This was organised and funded under the Community Study Visits Programme, which is intended to serve as a forum for discussing practical themes of genuine common interest at European level. While the study visit had a specific focus on ICT in lifelong learning, in this article I intend to present a personal perspective on various aspects of vocational education and training in Lithuania.

I think it is fair to say that Lithuania is a country in transition, the signs of which are probably best reflected in the somewhat curious but always interesting mixture of past and present in terms of infrastructure, architecture, buildings, culture and so on. A certainty, however, is the fact that Lithuanians are proud of their ‘new’ role in the world – one that embraces membership of NATO and the EU. They are also looking forward with confidence to the future, and an essential ingredient in this regard is the focus being placed on education and the development of a knowledge society.

This is supported by the adoption in 2003 of a revised version of the Law on Education and also the National Education Strategy for 2003–2012.1 The Law on Education defines that the education system shall be based on the following principles.

* Equal opportunities (socially fair, guaranteeing equal opportunities and access).
* Contextual interdependence (linked to economic, social and cultural development).
* Effectiveness (ensuring high quality results).
* Continuity (open and flexible, creating conditions for lifelong learning for all).

A further indicator of the importance placed on education is the public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP. In the latest figures available2 this stands at 6 per cent, which is higher than the average in the EU, the USA and Japan. While I acknowledge that this is a selective example, it nonetheless serves to reinforce the commitment to education in Lithuania.

In moving from a general overview, I have chosen just a few specific examples from the vocational education and training arena that I believe will prove interesting to readers.

‘WINDOW TO THE FUTURE’
‘Window to the Future’ is focused on the promotion of the Internet in Lithuania. This initiative is a private/public partnership aimed at developing a ‘knowledge society’, and many of the leading private companies in Lithuania are involved as sponsors. The fields of activity covered include:

* access – Internet access for all layers of society
* training – educating society in general by training people in the use of computer technology and the Internet, and
* e-content – development of electronic content and services relevant to the society.

The project is receiving the enthusiastic support of local government and communities, and new ‘traffic’ signs have been erected indicating Internet access points. To date, 172 public Internet access sites have been established across the country, and in 2003 alone some 20,000 adults received free training on Internet basics.

VISAGINAS
Visaginas is situated in the north-east corner of Lithuania and was originally built to accommodate the workers from the nearby Ignalina nuclear power plant. As a result, the economic welfare of its population is inextricably linked with the latter facility. However, the plant is subject to a de-commissioning order, and although this may take ten years or so to complete, it will leave a large hole in the local economy. The EU is supporting government activities aimed at creating greater diversification in the local economy, and the Visaginas Technology & Business Vocational Training Centre will also have a major role to play in respect of this. Indeed, at this centre the challenge is already being taken up and it has become involved in a range of transnational learning programme partnerships embracing a wide range of activities. ICT learning and administrative technologies are being developed and utilised here in an impressive fashion for a provincial centre.

KAUNAS UNIVERSITY
A very high level of innovation and best practice in the integration of ICT technologies into the learning process is being demonstrated at Kaunas University. In particular, developments associated with the Distance Education Centre represent a role model for tutor training and learner support in this regard.

In this brief article I hope I have provided a flavour at least of current events in the vocational education and training arena in Lithuania. I was very impressed by the dynamism and enthusiasm of those engaged in this sphere and look forward to learning more about their progress towards a knowledge society in the years ahead.

References
1. Education in Lithuania: figures and trends, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, 2003.
2. Ibid.

 

Pat Costine can be contacted on +00 35351 873330 or at costinep@eircom.net. He returns to ‘International opinion’ in the October issue of Training Journal.

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