the new challenges for improving primary education in ... · ramutė skripkienė, lithuania, 2008 5...

Ramutė Skripkienė, Lithuania, 2008 1

ASSESSMENT IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS

Dissemination Conference23-24 October 2008, Limassol, Cyprus

The new challenges for improvingprimary education in Lithuania


As Lithuania is striving to establish itself in the West, educationshould contribute to the strengthening of creative powers ofsociety, reduction of poverty and social exclusion.


The Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania approved

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION STRATEGY 2003–2012

The Strategy projects development of Lithuania, as a EU member state.The role of education in this development is of exceptional importance.


The Ministry of Education and Science is actively co-operating with similar ministries of other EU and WestEuropean countries with a goal of improving thepolicy providing for the education of individuals withspecial needs.

In 2004, the Ministry of Education and Science of theRepublic of Lithuania became a member of theEuropean Agency for Development in SpecialNeeds Education.

Meeting special needs


Development of education should take into account the newchallenges and new opportunities for the Lithuanian society.

This necessitates essential reforms in the educational system ofLithuania in order to increase its efficiency, improve accessibilityto education, create conditions enabling continuing educationand life-long learning, ensure the quality of education thatconforms to the European standards and meets the needs ofthe modern Lithuanian society.


Why we need to improve the primary education?

European and world experience shows us that the quality of children'searly learning experience is very effective in improving learningperformance and social justice. Some key factors are more effectiveteacher training and in-service training, teaching experience andmotivation, as well as use of active teaching methods and applyingassessment for learning and ICT.

The shift from the view that a child is like an empty vessel into which theteacher tries to "put" more knowledge, pedagogy moved to theunderstanding that learning is individual, constructive activity, andneeds favourable learning conditions and providing the necessarysupport. This understanding requires teachers to change attitudes totheir role and the selection of teaching methods to meet the individualneeds of children and ensure their educational success.


Meeting special needs

The objective to promote inclusive education,enabling students with special educational needsto enter ordinary schools and ensure qualityeducation for each child, to give all children themaximum opportunity for an optimal development.


Some measures of implementation

Ensuring socially fair conditionsfor learning:

– opportunities for efficient educationof children with different abilities andneeds shall be created;

– targeted complementarypedagogical and social workprogrammes shall be developed forworking with children experiencingdifficulties.


Some measures ofimplementation

To ensure the quality of educationdevelopment:

the content of education shall be updated andrelated to new competencies of an individual;

new developments in the training and work ofteachers;

modernisation of education research andassessment: the system of assessing pupils’

achievements in education shall bereformed; pupils should be motivated tolearn better, teachers – to seek the quality ofeducation and to provide better informationfor pupils and their parents alike about thelearning results; pupils should be taught toevaluate their achievements;

...



The Concept of Assessment ofPupils Achievement and Progress

Updated National Curriculum, 2008


The Updated Curriculum for Primary education requires the adaptationfor students with special needs. This prompted the Ministry of Educationand Science to initiate a special document for primary school teachers,special education teachers and other professionals.

The aim of the document is to draw the guidelines of content forteaching language, mathematics, social and natural sciences, tofacilitate decision making in the implementation of updated curriculum ininclusive settings, to give detail recommendations and help thepedagogues to plan the individualized process of teaching and learningand assessment of pupils with special needs.

The recommendations will help teachers and professionals’ understandbetter their role and purpose implementing the updated curriculum whenworking in inclusive settings and considering on individual needs andabilities of pupils with special needs.




The result of implementation of newassessment policy was national projectfor primary education with support ofBritish Council in 2004-2005.

Implementing national projects andplanning new steps for the future it wasdeveloped a draft of the Strategy forQuality Assurance.

Currently, Lithuania has disseminatedthe idea of inclusive education, andpreparing a document The Concept ofInclusive Education.

Assessment in the educationprocess



Project“Improving the

competences ofprimary teachers andteachers of specialeducation to useinnovative teachingmethods and ICT”

ALL training courses, also published and digital materials for teachers were related withassessment issues.

Localized digital learning objects for primary pupils have instruments for selfassessment.


Dissemination of the results of ASSESSMENTPROJECT in Lithuania

At the end of this project we had 6 seminars for education experts, consultants,education policy makers from municipalities. The aim of these seminars was toinform participants about the results of our national project and internationalASSESSMENT PROJECT.

All the publications: EuroNews on Special Needs Education publications (inLithuanian) and the report “Assessment in Inclusive Settings” (in Lithuanian) we’vegot from the Agency were delivered to the participants of seminars. The LisbonDeclaration, Indicators for Inclusive Assessment, Phase 1 Country Report and“Assessment in Inclusive Settings” (PDF files in Lithuanian) were written on CD anddelivered for participants of seminars.

The same information was presented at the meeting with group of experts anduniversity professors at Educational Development Centre in June. The group isworking on developing recommendations for primary teachers how to use the newnational curriculum for inclusive teaching and learning, and assessment of pupilswith special needs.


Future developments

Education Improvement Program for 2008 – 2013 willimplement educational projects at national and locallevels. The program (608 million Lt) is financed by theLithuanian government, municipalities, as well as froma European Social and Structural Funds.

One of the purposes is to improve educationalachievements of students, to develop teachers’professional competence and improveteaching/learning conditions by encouraging activelearning of all pupils and co-operation betweenteachers at school and between schools.

Many of these projects will be related with implementingthe issues of inclusive education and assessment forlearning.


Thank you!

the new challenges for improving primary education in ... · ramutė skripkienė, lithuania, 2008 5...

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