2024-04-07 09:23:38
The saying “He who pays, he orders the music” does not apply in this case, see
municipal administrations are entrusted with the financing of education, and
guidelines are drawn, new catchy slogans are created and educational tasks are distributed
strategists from the capital calling themselves experts.
This time the alarm bells rang because of Education, Science and Sports
amendments to the law prepared by the ministry, which require that gymnasiums
classes must have at least 21 students.
One might think that there are no more major problems in the Lithuanian education system.
Information has even started to be shared on social networks, supposedly from
86 schools will be closed in Lithuania this autumn, but representatives of the ministry
denied these claims – the restructuring will only affect those schools
in which the number of students is rapidly decreasing, it is possible that they will also change
status.
For gymnasiums that will not gather the number of students determined by the ministry,
two options are offered – to close your classes and open others
gymnasium section, and if the section was not formed, students would have to be transported
to another high school.
Popular gymnasiums in big cities will not experience any changes – in them, too
now the class is bursting at the seams, lining up to blend into the community
there are queues of students who want to, and their parents are digging in and looking for them
trying to push the offspring into the desired education
institutions.
The situation is completely different in small municipalities. Even the very population
the beloved district of Kaunas faced unforeseen difficulties.
The P. Dovydaitis high school community in Čekiškės (Kaunas district) has a renovated one
school, multipurpose stadium, new leisure hall, cozy garden,
library, one of the most modern cord cars in the Baltic countries
model race track, is happy with the good achievements of the students, however
this status may be lost at the whim of a new ministry.
Children from the municipalities of Raseiniai, Jurbarkas, Kėdainiai,
so they are also anxiously waiting for solutions.
The managers of Čekiškės P. Dovydaitis gymnasium have no doubt that training
without some classes in the institution, the number of students is even faster
would decrease, because parents with children of different ages would choose others
schools.
After the establishment of other high school departments in the school, joint activities and
the administration usually gets worse, and it takes 15-30 minutes to transport schoolchildren
kilometers to other gymnasiums is not only irrational, but also harmful to children
health because they have to get up early and come back late.
Both Čekiškės and Vandžiogala gymnasiums, which have similar concerns
the managers sought intercession from the mayor of the Kaunas district, V. Makūnas. He
convinced that a hasty transformation of educational institutions would be socially harmful
for sensitive communities in towns and villages, where it would decline even more rapidly
population, separation between big cities and remote areas of the country
would increase further.
The mayor suggested setting a lower minimum for small town gymnasiums
the number of students – it could be 15. At the same time, you should be careful
monitor demographic trends and only then take decisions.
V. Makūnas claimed that such a limit would allow the heads of municipalities
solve a sensitive problem more flexibly.
Both Kaunas city and district authorities invest a lot in education, create
infrastructure, optimizes the network of educational institutions by evaluating each one
situation, but representatives of the Seimas and the Government do not trust self-government and
those who know the needs of the local community better.
Although education system strategists have received plenty in recent years
criticism, they don’t want to hear the voices that sometimes offer a good way out.
What bad will happen if there are classes in two high schools in the Kaunas district
less than 21 students? Absolutely nothing. On the contrary, the quality of teaching
in such classes should only improve, because students will receive more
attention of pedagogues.
If the municipal administration of Kaunas or another district of the country is capable
to finance the activities of gymnasiums, they could operate successfully even with that
in case only 10 students remain in the classes.
Mayor V. Makūnas did not ask for any grants or benefits. He just wants to
respond to the needs of the communities and probably know them better than
virtuosos of the ministry who dream of the prestigious teaching profession
and drawing theoretical project plans, which are then paved
municipalities.
2024-04-07 09:23:38