Families will be allowed to home-school their children in Lithuania as of next September.
The Cabinet approved the rules and requirements for home-schooling on Wednesday, the Education Ministry said in a press release.
Parents will be able to opt for home-schooling as long as they sign an agreement with a school designated by their municipality and meet set requirements, it said. They will also have to follow nationally-approved curricula.
Discussions about home-schooling have continued for years, Education Minister Algirdas Monkevičius says, and families will finally have the option.
“We can do so after laying down certain conditions for families, putting in place safeguards to protect children and defining the role of the school in this process,” he said in the press release.
Designated schools will have to provide home-schooled students with textbooks and counseling, and ensure that they have access to non-formal education programmes and events. Schools will also have to develop programmes to develop students' social and emotional competencies.
Twice a year, professional teachers will assess home-schooled students' achievements and progress, as well as whether their socialisation needs are met.
Parents will have to log their child's achievements in electronic diaries at least once every two weeks.
Currently, parents of about 200 children, including 100 children of pre-school age, could be interested in home-schooling, according to the Education Ministry.
The ministry estimates that an additional funding of 76,600 euros will be needed to pay teachers for extra work and to cover other related costs this year, and 230,000 euros next year.
LRT English
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