Lithuanian President proposes delaying stricter education requirements

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has proposed a three-year delay, pushing the implementation of stricter requirements for basic education to September 2029. This move comes after the Seimas (parliament) had previously voted to cancel the requirement, which was set to take effect in September 2024. The president's proposal aims to find a compromise between maintaining high educational standards and providing necessary support to schools and students.

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I unequivocally believe this is a compromise option, because otherwise the threshold would have come into force from September 1. Now it will be coordinated, we will see how all the procedural matters unfold in the Seimas, and we will discuss it, because we haven't actually talked in the faction about what kind of decision it could be. But I emphasize that I truly respect the head of state's decision, and yesterday's discussion was very substantive and necessary.

"I unequivocally believe this is a compromise option, because otherwise the threshold would have come into force from September 1," said MP J. Šukevičienė, describing the president's proposal. "Now it will be coordinated, we will see how all the procedural matters unfold in the Seimas, and we will discuss it, because we haven't actually talked in the faction about what kind of decision it could be. But I emphasize that I truly respect the head of state's decision, and yesterday's discussion was very substantive and necessary."

President Nausėda met with education representatives to discuss the cancellation of the threshold for the Basic Education Achievement Test (PUPP). Šukevičienė, who chairs a committee, stated that the goal of education should be quality education for every child, not just tests and control. She added that lawmakers returning to the bill in the Seimas will seek solutions that reconcile high requirements with real assistance for schools and students.

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When we talk about education, we should talk about the quality of science in essence, and that tests and control are important, but they cannot become the goal itself. In my opinion, our goal is to ensure quality education for every child, student, from the very beginning, from the early days, so that we can identify learning difficulties as early as possible and provide individual assistance.

Previously, amendments adopted in 2022 stipulated that basic education would be obtained by completing the program and passing the PUPP with at least 4 points. However, changes due to take effect in 2024 were postponed to 2026. In mid-July, the Seimas decided to cancel the requirement for a minimum threshold in the PUPP to obtain basic education starting this September. This decision angered parts of the education community, with 36 organizations appealing to President Nausėda to veto the amendment.

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We will return to the consideration of this law in the Seimas and, of course, will responsibly evaluate the arguments presented by the president and look for solutions that help reconcile high educational requirements with real assistance to the student.