Executive summary

Since the restoration of its independence in 1991, Lithuania has established a reformed and inclusive education system. Policy makers have decentralised to local governments responsibility to organise and supervise schooling, created transparent arrangements for funding schools, and provided school heads and higher education leaders with wide responsibility for the management of their institutions. Participation in schooling is effectively universal to the end of upper secondary education, and the level of participation in tertiary education is well above EU and OECD averages. Lithuania’s accomplishments in the past quarter century are considerable. However, improvements in the quality of schooling and higher education are needed to effectively address the nation’s demographic challenges and respond to its economic opportunities.