At the beginning of 2022, 848.4 thousand persons aged 0–29 lived in Lithuania (30.2 per cent of the total population). Compared to the respective period of 2021, the number of persons aged 0–29 decreased by 35.5 thousand, or 4 per cent. The decrease in the population and population ageing inevitably condition changes in the educational situation, in particular, infrastructure indicators.

Lithuanian population – are among the most educated people in Europe

In 2021, the number of persons aged 25–64, having the high education level, totalled 694.5 thousand, which is by 18.8 thousand more than in 2020, and accounted for 45.3 per cent of the total population aged 25–64. This proportion is steadily increasing and, among the EU member states, Lithuania is one of the leading countries (EU 27 – 33.4 per cent).

Potential of the society development is best reflected by the share of young educated people. In 2021, persons of the said age accounted for 60.3 per cent (EU 27 – 41.6 per cent), and this share in the last decade shows an overall further increasing trend.

In 2020, one in four employed persons in the country improved qualification by attending vocational training courses

In 2020, an employee of one in two enterprises (54 per cent) studied or pursued upskilling in the vocational training courses, participated in conferences or seminars, studied at workplace or did self-learning through the use of modern technologies. Vocational training courses were attended by 214 thousand (26 per cent) of the employed persons in the country. The most frequent participants were employees of enterprises engaged in financial and insurance activities as well as information and communication.

According to the Labour Force Survey data, in 2021, in the four weeks preceding the survey, the share of population aged 25–64 who pursued either formal or non-formal education accounted for 8.5 per cent.

As is the case for other education indicators, the difference between woman and men, and urban and rural population is obvious.

The number of pupils and students has been annually decreasing

At the beginning of the 2021–2022 academic year, the number of pupils and students per 1,000 population totalled 164.7 (in 2020–2021, 164.2). In total, in the 2021–2022 academic year, the number of students amounted to 460.3 thousand, or almost each sixth resident of Lithuania. Compared to the 2020–2021 academic year, the number of students decreased by 1.5 thousand, or 0.3 per cent. The number of pupils and students tends to  increasing in all levels of education.

Over a year, the number of general schools decreased from 977 to 957. In 2021, the number of first graders in general lower secondary schools amounted to 28.8 thousand, or by 0.9 thousand (3.2 per cent) less than in 2020. At the beginning of the 2021–2022 academic year, total number of pupils educated according to lower secondary education programmes totalled 330 thousand.

In 2021, lower secondary education certificates were received by 24.8 thousand students (in 2020, 25.3 thousand), general certificates of secondary education – by 1939 thousand school-leavers (in 2020, 20.4 thousand). More than two thirds of school-leavers (71.7 per cent) continued studies in the same year in educational institutions of our country: 40.2 per cent – at universities, 20.7 per cent – in colleges, 10.8 per cent – in vocational schools.

Total (level 0–8)

307,628

307,718

299,858

299,564

295,420

295,932

294,727

297,165

295,657

298,574

Early childhood education (level 0)

66,361

62,536

67,374

63,784

67,756

63,641

68,448

64,055

69,604

64,876

Primary education (level 1)

59,763

56,863

60,539

57,137

60,851

57,765

59,780

56,902

59,590

56,655

Lower secondary education (level 2)

85,264

79,103

84,262

78,506

84,920

79,659

85,753

81,267

87,559

82,930

Upper secondary education (level 3)

36,231

32,395

33,389

30,069

31,211

28,470

32,043

28,654

31,674

28,437

Post-secondary non-tertiary education (level 4)

8,468

10,075

5,968

6,626

5,193

5,432

4,673

5,418

3,999

4,990

Bachelor’s or equivalent level (level 6)

40,521

47,947

37,502

44,676

34,834

42,296

33,342

41,829

32,531

41,507

Master’s or equivalent level (level 7)

9,843

17,233

9,648

17,222

9,446

17,145

9,510

17,494

9,552

17,670

Doctoral studies (level 8)

1,177

1,566

1,176

1,544

1,209

1,524

1,178

1,546

1,148

1,509

Currently, the share of young people in Lithuania who are neither working nor studying, compared to other EU member states, does not seem to be alarming. In the past 5 year, the percentage of young persons aged 15–24 who are not in employment, education or training has increase, and in 2021 accounted for 10.9 per cent of the total population of the said age (2017 – 9.1 per cent). The share of young people aged 18–24 who did not attain medium level of education and did not continue education in the past decade  decrease – from 7.4 per cent in 2011 to 5.4 per cent in 2021. In this connection the difference between women and men is obvious, in particular among those who have not attained the medium level of education.

Non-formal education of older people – third-age universities

In the context of the ageing population, more emphasis is placed on the creation of conditions facilitating older people to remain active, full and integrated members of our society. One of the means to ensure such conditions is the establishment of special educational institutions for older people.

The Law on Non-formal Adult Education of the Republic of Lithuania¹ sets out that a provider of non-formal adult education and continuing learning – a school, a freelance teacher or another provider of education (a library, a museum, a University of the Third Age or another institution, company, organisation, as well as a legal entity or another organisation of the Member State or their departments established in the Republic of Lithuania, for which education is not the main activity) has the right to carry out non-formal adult education and continuing learning in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts.

A university of the third age is a non-formal adult education and continuing learning provider, its unit or a non-formal adult education and continuing learning programme providing non-formal education and continuing learning for older people and satisfying their knowledge, competence development and cultural needs¹.

Problem of providers of non-formal adult education services

The Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre, after the analysis and researches² of the situation of non-formal adult education, states that there are 66 independently acting third-age universities (TAU) (the 2018 data). 23 non-formal educational institutions, containing the words “third-age university” in its title, were registered in the Register of Educational and Scientific Establishments (RESE).

There is a problem caused by the absence of a single system of non-formal adult education or learning services providing institutions, and therefore the number of the aforementioned institutions given in different sources may vary.

Medardas Čobotas Third Age University in Vilnius, founded in 1995, is a pioneer of third-age universities

Medardas Čobotas Third Age University (MČTAU) is a non-governmental association providing non-formal adult education, founded in 1995 and operating in Vilnius.

The University's objectives:

1. To enable older people to pursue lifelong learning.
2. To promote MČTAU and form a positive image of older people.
3. To represent the MČTAU community at regional, national and international level.
4. Promote volunteering and communication between the generations.

The University aims at fostering human values:

Community spirit

Openness to change and new ideas

Respect and tolerance

Creativity and initiative

Responsibility as well as fostering and protection of the learning environment

Persons aged 50 or over may be listeners of the University. In autumn 2021, the University’s oldest listener celebrated her 96th birthday.

The University has twelve faculties and three artistic collectives (vocal ensemble, dance studio, women’s choir). The University may boast of the numerous different lectures on various topics, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, trips, meetings, performances of artistic collectives, voluntary projects. Some lectures and events are also organised remotely (using web apps Google Meet, Zoom).

The University aims to provide opportunities for self-realization and self-expression for each member. The foregoing events also support physical and emotional life of elderly persons, promote their social integration.

The European Parliament welcomed positive contribution of the University and awarded the honorary Citizen of Europe Name in 2016.

Third-age universities perform their activities in other cities and towns of our country as well – 49 third-age universities have founded the Association of Third Age Universities, uniting about 16 thousand older age people.

This information has is prepared based on the data of Medardas Čobotas Third Age University, the Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre (KPMPC), and this is not official statistics.

We are grateful to Medardas Čobotas Third Age University for cooperation.