 Some history on Lithuania.  To learn about the education structure in Lithuania.  Look at the issues with health.  Ways of physical activity helping the schools and society.  What the future holds for this country.

 Lithuania is in Eastern Europe  There are different ethnic groups: › Lithuanian › Polish › Russian › Belarusian  Religions: › Roman Catholic › Russian Orthodox › Protestant  Populated with 3,525,761 people  Type of Government is Parliamentary Democracy  Capital: Vilnius

 There are three levels of schooling › Primary School or Elementary School (1st-4 th grades) › Basic School (5 th -10 th grades) › Upper Secondary School (11 th -12 grades)  These levels are divided into phases › Primary › Adaptation › Observation › Orientation › Decision Making  Primary School years are concentrated on views of the world.  Basic School years concentrate on aspects of everyday life and promoting conceptual thinking.  Upper Secondary School years teaching is on thinking and problem solving or profiled.

 All children from the age 6 or 7 to 16 are required to be a full time student.  Secondary schools are state schools.  Ministry of Education and Science is in charge of educational reform.  National Curriculum for Basic Education: › Information › Algorithms › Computer › Information Technology  Secondary Education Topics: › Profile › Humanities › Sciences › Technologies › Arts

 The goal of teachers is to develop students information timely, urgent, and at constant value.  The information of concept might change because of the culture.  Teachers are to cover different abilities and skills.

 Teachers abilities › Help students understand and build upon information already learned. › Develop logical and operational thinking, planning, creativity, and self confidence. › Give opportunities for direction of future studies. › Develop group activities in general literacy. › Familiarize technology and concepts that were learned to be able to apply in everyday life › Teach basic concepts that are put into practice. › Familiarize history and development of technologies and evolution of society and culture. › Improve skills in understanding technology legitimately and reasonably, for advanced information and communication, and to link information to issues of culture and society. › Help to be able to resolve issues in activities.

 It is not required for children to get a religious education but parents have the option of religious studies for children.  “The analysis of the constitutional regulation in Lithuania reveals three important aspects in the light of religious education: (1) the right to education; (2) the right to religion; (3) the right and duty of parents to raise their children and educate them accordinly” (Pranevičienė & Margevičiūtė, 2012).

 There are 48 Bachelor Degree and 28 Master Degree program curriculum that are designed at the University of Klaipëda.  There are 53 Bachelor Degree and 21 Master Degree program curriculum at the University of Šiauliai.  There are 8 Bachelor Degree and 20 Master Degree program curriculum that are at Mykolas Romeris University.

 There are seven state and two private higher education institutions.  Universities are expected to guard national values and traditions, also expect to reach beyond Lithuania borders.  There have been a number of years that reform has been taking place, that has led to higher levels of European integration.

 Higher Education Sustainable Development expectations: › Focus on future oriented development, quality of present and future life. › Holistic approach toward environment, economic, and social development with issues about democracy, equality, and human rights of environment and social sciences. › Focus on cultural, social, economic, and environmental diversity for resolving conflicts peacefully. › Critical thinking and competence in activities. › Promote the development of cooperation and democracy, leaning toward community problem solving and individual; promoting public awareness, local decision making and impact on region, nation, and globe.

 It is shown that even in Lithuania there are health issues with school children.  “In 1992, 36.9% of schoolchildren were in the risk group; in 2002 this figure was 45.4%” (Volbekienė, 2007).  The problem is that the children are not as physically active as they should be and that is putting them at risk for health issues.

 An issue with obesity in the society is that the practitioners are not addressing the issue and giving these individuals healthy options and ways to change their lifestyle.  Lithuania is doing research on if giving the society advice on how to be healthy if the people listen to the information they are given.  If adults are unhealthy most likely their children are going to be unhealthy too.

 For young adults it is hard to be physically active when going through the transition from being dependent on someone to being independent.  When students are in higher education they have a hard time with balancing school, eating well, and being physically active.  Lithuania has research being done on this issue and how it affects the society.

 Physical fitness is important in every country and there are many countries that are having the same issues with health.  A good way to improve this issue is by making people aware of the issue and educating them on ways to be healthier.  It is important for adults to understand the benefits of being healthy and how to be healthy because their habits are passed down to their children.  Physical Education is a way for students to be active and to learn about healthy living.  This could help develop good habits in the future when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

 With there being health risks in societies there needs to be a change.  There have been many different habits in the population over the years.  There need to be guidelines and policies for the future to decrease health issues.  “Our data highlight the need for future food and nutrition policies, as well as health promotion programmes, targeting the whole population, particularly those with lower education and living in rural areas”(BMC Public Health, 2012).

 Education changes over the decades because there are different societies, economics, rullers, etc.  Technology is changing education too.  As the world evolves so does education  “Therefore, today every society raises new education purposes, seeks to reconstruct its education system so that it could govern innovations influenced by globalization and could prepare the young generation to live inglobalized world and act in competition based market economy”(Lamanauskas, 2011).

 I predict that the future of education in Lithuania will continue to grow as the country grows.  The country will reform their education and add different aspects into their education programs.  Such as physical education.  The future is bright for this country and because it is newly independent it has a lot to learn and can build their own country their way.

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Klumbiene, J., Petkeviciene, J., Vaisvalavicius, V., & Miseviciene, I. (2006). Advising overweight persons about diet and physical activity in primary health care: Lithuanian health behaviour monitoring study. BMC Public Health, doi: / Lamanauskas, V., & Augiene, D. (2011). SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITY EVALUATION: LITHUANIAN UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' POSITION. Journal Of Baltic Science Education, 10(3), Pranevičienė, B., & Margevičiūtė, A. (2012). THE RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN LITHUANIA. Jurisprudencija, 19(2), Time trends in social differences in nutrition habits of a Lithuanian population: (2012). BMC Public Health, 12(1), doi: / Ušeckienė, L., & Targamadzė, V. (2005). CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION TO HIGHER EDUCATION IN LITHUANIA. Journal Of Baltic Science Education, (8), Volbekienė, V., & Grici&#x016Btė, A. (2007). Health-related physical fitness among schoolchildren in Lithuania: A comparison from 1992 to Scandinavian Journal Of Public Health, 35(3), doi: /