The Millennium Schools Programme (MSP) has reached its mid-point, with a range of activities to improve teaching and learning successfully implemented in all 58 participating municipalities and 270 of their schools. “A positive change in education is already taking place”, say all the municipalities and school representatives interviewed this time from Ignalina, Kazlų Rūda, Lazdijai and Visaginas. The scope of the project is very broad indeed: from new STEAM laboratories, art rooms, educational tools to various trainings, internships and workshops for students and teachers. So, although studies have shown that a real change in education can only happen in twelve years, today we can already celebrate the results that the MSP programme is bringing.
Change: a more comfortable environment, increased networking and broadening horizons
A survey of the country’s population carried out by market and public opinion research company Spinter Research in May showed that 79% of the country’s population
agrees that it is important for Lithuania to narrow the gap between the opportunities and educational achievements of students in big cities and small towns. At the same time, 77% of respondents who are aware of the MSP programme believe that it improves Lithuania’s education system
It seems that the goal of the MSP programme – to create integral, optimal and high-quality educational conditions for closing the achievement gap – is slowly becoming a reality. Positive developments towards this can already be observed.
“The educational environment is improving, with the acquisition of various teaching aids and furniture. Communication and cooperation with partners is expanding, children are being educated more and more often in different educational environments, there are more and more trips (the bus rented by the MSP for various MSP activities transports the children almost every day), some of which take place together with pupils from other schools, the pupils’ horizon is expanding, and career education is getting stronger,” said Rita Gasiukevičienė, Chief Specialist at the Education and Culture Division of the Administration of the Ignalina Municipality.
Ina Živatkauskienė, Head of the Education, Culture and Sports Department of the Kazlų Rūda Municipality Administration, says: “Innovative educational tools and laboratory equipment have been purchased, recreation areas for pupils have been equipped, teachers’ workplaces have been modernised, and training and internships for teaching staff and administration have been held. The good practices acquired during the internships have been used to create better teaching and learning conditions for teachers and pupils, i.e. modernising the cultural, STEAM educational environment for the organisation of the teaching/learning process and for networking”.
The highly complex MSP programme, which requires both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ activities, aims to bring about change through four areas of school improvement: STEAM education, cultural education, leadership in action and inclusive education. Networking is a core principle of the programme. When talking about the change that is already taking place, many interviewees highlighted the intensification of this process, which involves the sharing of various infrastructures and resources within the municipality.
“Networking between schools has been strengthened, developing the competences of teachers and education support specialists, and sharing good practice. Innovative activities, networking and new methods are changing the way educational content is organised. New teaching methods are used, lessons are taught in non-traditional spaces, and joint activities with social partners take place. Every pupil is involved, regardless of difficulties or individual needs. We notice that students’ self-confidence grows and their readiness to overcome future challenges is strengthened,” says Angelė Mizerienė, the coordinator of the activities of the MSP programme at the Education, Culture and Sport Department of the Lazdijai District Municipality Administration.
She says that students appreciate non-traditional and integrated lessons, where they can not only learn, but also see, touch and try something new. This has helped to improve attendance for pupils with special needs.
Moreover, Ms Mizerienė pointed out that since the beginning of the implementation of the MSP programme, the progress of the proportion of pupils who have reached at least the basic level of achievement in the Lithuanian language has improved by about 12% in the Lithuanian language Basic Educational Achievement Examination and by 11.55% in mathematics.
Infrastructure changes to create change in education
Perhaps the most noticeable changes are the renewal of infrastructure and the acquisition of equipment. Back in the preparation of the Municipal Progress Plans, it was mandatory to base all the so-called “hard” activities on “soft” ones – in other words, to operationalise infrastructure changes so that they actually bring real benefits and change.
“As part of the MSP programme, the school has renovated some of its spaces. Five classrooms in the school have undergone simple renovation works, which not only make them more aesthetically pleasing but also comply with the principles of universal design. An outdoor classroom, KUPOLAS, has been built on the school grounds to host formal and non-formal education activities, cultural events, student assemblies, and project presentations. Students in grades 5-6 learn many subjects using the Scoolsy integrated education platform – students have personal computers, headphones and can work at their own pace to master the basic educational material”, says Asta Bauraitė, Principal of the Visaginas “Žiburio” Primary School, a participant of the MSP, about some of the changes.
According to A. Bauraitė, the most awaited equipment at the moment is laboratory equipment for natural sciences, as well as the procurement of equipment for the sensory classroom. All of these measures should help make the educational process even more innovative and effective, and more accessible to students of all abilities and interests.
“Importantly, the activities are networked, as teachers and pupils in the city will be able to work together in the school spaces created by the project. I hope that with the participation in the MSP project, networking between schools will gain new momentum”, says the Principal of the Žiburys Primary School in Visaginas.
A. Mizerienė speaking about the most encouraging changes in the infrastructure, highlighted the educational space to be established in Lazdijai Motiejaus Gustaitis Gymnasium, where social, emotional and healthy lifestyle skills development activities will be organised, social pedagogue and psychologist consultations will be provided, and a homework club will be implemented. Students from all schools in the municipality will be able to use this space upon arrival at the STEAM Centre.
Meanwhile, the Veisėiai Sigitas Geda Gymnasium in Lazdijai district purchased equipment for the technology classroom, cinema viewing equipment for the assembly hall, and music equipment. This will be used for technology lessons, non-formal education, art-based research, photo trips and creative activities.
“More access to modern tools for students. Infrastructure is also linked to teacher development and the creation of a networking model. Teachers’ participation in various trainings and seminars helps them to update and deepen their knowledge and competences, to adapt to modern educational methods and to improve the quality of lessons,” says A. Mizerienė.
The Ignalina District Municipality has an outdoor musical instrument lawn, which not only delights schoolchildren, but also visitors to the town. Starting in the autumn, STEAM and cultural education lessons are planned. New school furniture has been purchased for as many as 20 classrooms, and balance cushions and activity walls will soon be available to meet the diverse needs of pupils. Furniture has also been bought for the language laboratory and a weather monitoring system has been installed, which is expected to make pupils less sick and thus increase attendance. A variety of teaching aids have been purchased, ranging from interactive displays to a mobile STEAM laboratory.
“We look forward to an even better, more interesting quality of training, even more networking and cooperation with other educational institutions. The most important work ahead is the renovation of the school and the installation of the lift. Also, the installation of an interactive school museum, a calming and sensory room, a communication and workspace, and a recreation area”, says Ms Gasiukevičienė about the work ahead in the near future.
A vision for the future – more opportunities for all students
There are indeed many activities, but they all boil down to very specific municipal visions, which have been clarified by the analysis of the state of education in the preparation of the Progress Plans. Although the MSP programme is now fully underway, there are, of course, as with any project, challenges. These include lengthy procurement procedures and lack of human resources.
“There is a severe shortage of human resources in both soft and hard activities. The MSP has increased the workload for both teachers and administration. The preparation and coordination of various project documents is very time consuming. Well, everything is solved through communication, talking, looking for opportunities, adjusting and correcting the planned activities”, says the Chief Specialist of the Education and Culture Department of Ignalina Municipality.
When asked about the future prospects and expected results, Ms Gasiukevičienė said that she hopes to implement what is envisaged in their progress plan: to improve the conditions for teaching and learning, to strengthen the competences of the staff in meeting the needs of the pupils, and to help each pupil to discover himself or herself and to bring out his or her best abilities.
“The idea of the change we want to achieve is a happy, self-confident, educated and healthy student who creates wealth in his/her country,” she says.
The coordinator of the activities of the MSP programme of the Lazdijai district municipality administration echoes her: “We hope that the implementation of the investment activities in infrastructure through the MSP programme, the development of the networking model, the timetable, and the other works will ensure inclusive education and more effective networking. All pupils, even those from remote settlements, will have equal opportunities. It is hoped that the MSP programme will improve teachers’ working conditions and that active communication will help to attract more new teachers to the municipality”.
The MSP Education Progress Programme has been designed to address the problems holistically, with the aim of ensuring the best possible learning conditions for every child, irrespective of their place of residence or social status, and to narrow the achievement gaps between pupils in different municipalities across the country, in different municipal schools.
The project has a budget of €210 million from the Recovery and Resilience Plan and a maximum of €44.1 million from the state budget to reimburse value added tax. The specific support to a municipality depends on the value of its progress plan and the number of pupils in the municipality.
Original source: „Tūkstantmečio mokyklų“ programa – realus pokytis, prasidedantis dabar – Tūkstantmečio mokyklų programa (tukstantmeciomokyklos.lt)