The assertion that a country unwilling to properly educate
its willing citizens has no future in competition reflects a growing concern in
Lithuania regarding the quality of public education, which has led to a surge
in private tutoring.
Key Issues in Lithuanian Education:
"Jungle of
Tutors" & School Quality: Reports indicate that schools are failing to
provide sufficient education, causing a "jungle" of private tutors to
emerge as parents seek necessary support for their children.
Teacher
Perspective: Teachers have reported high stress levels, largely driven by
responsibility for student achievement, adapting to changing curricula, and
navigating a, at times, dysfunctional school environment.
Low Performance
and Inequality: International PISA results have shown that Lithuanian student
performance is below that of neighboring countries. The system faces challenges
with a shortage of good teachers, low teacher salaries, and a lack of
inclusion, creating gaps in opportunities between different social and economic
backgrounds.
Low Teacher
Morale: Only 21% of teachers in Lithuania feel valued in society, according to
2024 TALIS data, and only 28% are satisfied with their salaries.
Proposed Reforms:
While initiatives like the "Millennium School Project" are attempting
to address these issues, they have been criticized for being too slow, with
vague objectives and high administrative costs.
Impact on Future Competitiveness:
The shift
towards private tutoring highlights a lack of trust in the public school system
to prepare students for the future, potentially limiting opportunities for
students from lower-income backgrounds. For a nation looking to compete in
high-skill industries, such as technology, this creates a significant challenge
regarding the competence of the future workforce.
“Audrius Miliauskas, a mathematics teacher at Marijampolė
St. Cecilia Gymnasium, spoke openly about why “a jungle of tutors has sprung
up.” He said that the problem is not the updates to the general education
programs, but their breadth: “This is not a program, this is an ocean.”
The math teacher was surprised when he received a comment on
social media that he was “crying.”
"Guess what? Oh, from a tutor.
Why did I become a crybaby? Because I dared to agree with a
colleague who publicly demonstrated the absurdity: when 6th grade topics are
relegated to fifth graders, and inclusive education is introduced into classes
without any real resources, it becomes impossible for teachers to work.
And then the "greenhouse conditions" worker rushes
to moralize that there is no need to "cry like Audrius" here, - he
wondered.
He also presented arguments why it is becoming increasingly
difficult to teach mathematics to an entire class in schools, and tutors are
thriving.
"Why such a defensive reaction? The math is very
simple: if the school operates a harmonious system that corresponds to the age
and development of the children, tutors will have no work. It is precisely from
this school sloppiness that the jungle of tutors has been born. When a student,
tired of the pace, is drowning, and the teacher simply does not have the physical
time to throw him a lifeline, parents open their wallets and look for help.
It is ridiculous to listen to tutors' "expert"
insights about working at school. It is the same as if I were to start
explaining to women about the experiences of childbirth now. Ask yourself: what
is the probability that a tutor who works comfortably will go to work at
school? Zero. Instead, there are crowds of young teachers who are running away
from school and becoming tutors, who simply cannot cope with the system,” A. Miliauskas
shared the sad reality.
He sees the biggest problem in the 5th-8th grade programs
According to the mathematics teacher, the problem can be
seen not in the updating of the programs, but in their excessive breadth.
“Where is the dog really stuck? The problem is not the
program updates themselves. The problem is their cosmic breadth. This is not
the program, this is the ocean.
I see the biggest problem in the 5th-8th grades, where a
strong mathematical base should be formed. Now this is impossible: there are so
many topics, and the textbooks written according to them are so crammed with
tasks that it is impossible to stop and consolidate knowledge. Everything is in
a hurry,” he claimed.
According to A. Miliauskas, if teachers really sincerely
strive to teach children something, then it is good, but the other part is said
to be unwilling to adapt.
"What should a teacher do?
If a teacher is sincere, he is trying to teach. Of course,
in theory, a "fuse" should be activated: a good teacher will select
information and adapt to the class. But in reality, some teachers simply throw
away the tests left over from the times of the Tsar's plague and do not even
try to adapt. Then they simply present what was handed down from above.
And the top one – someone who hasn’t been to school for a
long time and doesn’t even have an idea what’s going on there,” he shared his
thoughts.
In such a case, the math teacher is convinced, tutors have a
good opportunity to offer their services.
“This is how a perfect circle is formed, in which the jungle
of tutors flourishes, and parents pay money for what the state should do in
school.
So, dear tutors. It’s not me who is crying here. It’s you
who are crying here when someone dares to point a finger at the reality on
which you are building your business. Let off steam, come to the state system,
stand in front of 30 completely different children and teach them all at once,
not one by one, comfortably in your greenhouse.
Then we will discuss,” he advised.
How do you propose to change the situation?
A. Miliauskas wanted not only to criticize the current
education system, but also shared his vision of what could be done so that
children achieve better results.
"It may sound like a utopia, but it seems to me
something like this:
1️⃣ Maximum 24-25 children in a
class. If there is inclusive education, the classes are even smaller or a real
teacher's assistant must work.
2️⃣ Teacher's salary from €2,000
"in hand". Otherwise, we will not attract minds to schools from the
private sector.
3️⃣ Verifiability of competencies
and responsibilities. Although I am for trusting teachers (this point can be
argued), but school should not be a place to comfortably "sit down"
with old tests from the times of the Tsar's plague.
4️⃣ Help and incentives for
newcomers. When I came to school, I was completely green - they just threw me
in the lesson. It is not surprising that young people burn out and are fleeing
the system en masse.
5️⃣ Common sense programs. Stop
cramming cosmic amounts of topics, let them consolidate knowledge, and not just
check marks for "passing the course".
6️⃣ Directors and deputies are not
rulers, but support staff. The teacher is higher in this system.
Is this realistic? It is simply necessary. But as long as
the state saves money in the wrong place and spends money where it is not
needed, the situation will not change,” he assured.
“Delfi” reminds that from 2025. a mathematics exam has
become mandatory for those entering universities or colleges. However, for many
years, experts have been afraid that the results of exams in this subject will
be very poor.
Last year, the Ministry of Education and Science added 10
points to each exam, except for the Lithuanian language and literature, arguing
that the bar was raised too high in the previous term - from 16 points to 35
points. True, the conservatives argued that the calculation system was
changing, so changing the bar was necessary.
Lithuanian language and mathematics exams can be considered
at level A or B. The ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) shared
figures last year that almost 95 percent of students passed the Lithuanian A
level, which was the best result in a decade. 85 percent passed the Mathematics
A level, and 8 percent scored hundreds.
However, the B level exams, according to the Social
Democrats, revealed a painful injustice: 42 percent failed mathematics, 31
percent failed the Lithuanian language. Most of them are students from national
minorities and vocational schools.”
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