STEM Education Landscape: Lithuania

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General forEducation, Youth, Culture and SportDirectorateB—Youth, Education and Erasmus+UnitB.1—Schools and Multilingualism Contact:Maria Podlasek-Ziegler E-mail:EAC-UNITE-B2@ec.europa.eu European CommissionB-1049 Brussels STEMeducation landscape in Author:Dr. Berita Simonaitienė, in collaboration with the study team Manuscript completed in January 2025 This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of theauthors, and the European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union,2026 © European Union,2026 The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented by Commission Decision2011/833/EU of 12December 2011 on the reuse of Commission documents (OJ L330, 14.12.2011, p.39).Unless otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution4.0 International (CCBY4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need Contents 1.1.Structure of the national school education system.................................81.2.Governance of STEM education in Lithuania......................................10 1.3.Introduction of the country’sperformance in STEM education............121.3.1.Performance in STEM and diversity........................................................14 2.Overview of the main policy and structural challenges and factorsrelated to STEM education in schools.................................................16 2.1.Policy framework for STEM education in Lithuania..............................16 2.2.Overview of the main structural challenges and factors related to STEMeducation in schools............................................................................182.2.1.Challenges and structural trends in STEM education curriculum,andpedagogy................................................................................................182.2.2.Student achievement, motivation and interest in STEM..........................182.2.3.STEM teachers’ shortages andinsufficient teacher training in Lithuania.202.2.4.Lack of facilities and infrastructure for STEM education..........................222.2.5.Lack of research on education and schooling.........................................222.2.6.Socioeconomic disparities in STEM education in Lithuania.....................232.2.7.Fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.......................................................24 3.Overview of the identified instruments promoting STEM education26 3.1.Examples of best practices to support STEM education and theirtransferability.......................................................................................28 4.Recommendations for potential EU interventions..............................38 5.1. Methodological annex.............................................................................40 5.2. Bibliography...........................................................................................40 Thisdocument presents results of country-specific research on science,technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and its support inLithuania. It was prepared in thecontext of a wider study on ‘Promoting STEM 1.Background to the country’s education system 1.1.Structure of the national school education system In Lithuania, the education system below the tertiary level is divided into threestages: early childhood education and care (ECEC), primary education, and ECEC (ISCED level 0) consists of two parts: (1) non-obligatory pre-schooleducation, which provides early education for children from birth until they reachpre-primary education at around age six, and (2) a compulsory year of pre-primary education. The purpose of pre-primary education is to prepare childrenfor primary school by focusing on four key areas of the curriculum: health care, Primary education (ISCED level 1) typically begins at age seven and lasts for fouryears,covering grades one through four. This stage of education is bothcompulsory and publicly funded, following a national curriculum that spans sixsubject areas1, including Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Technologicaleducation. Assessment methods during primary education include formative Secondary education is divided into two stages: lower secondary education(ISCEDlevel 2)and upper secondary education(ISCED level 3).Lowersecondary education lasts six years, covering grades five through ten,and is partof the compulsory education cycle. In grades five and six, STEM education is partially integrated into a general subject calledNature and Human(Lithuanian:Gamta ir Žmogus). Starting in grade seven, students transition to studying language and literature, mathematics, and, where applicable, their mother tongue Upper secondary education