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Add to favouritesEconomical and working world-related education > Economical and working world-related education in in Lithuania
The Teaching of Economic Literacy in Lithuania's Comprehensive Schools
Economic literacy education in Lithuania is carried according the Strategy of Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development, General Programmes and The Standards of Economic Literacy, established in 2004 and confirmed by The Minister of The Republic of Lithuania Ministry of Education and Science.
The Strategy comprises the main tasks and goals of the economic education. Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development is perceived as the practical part of general literacy and education competency.
The level of Economic Literacy is determined by the Standards of Economic Literacy. They lay out the necessary amount of knowledge needed to reach the certain stage or level. Regulating just the very minimum of knowledge needed to reach the literacy stage, the possibility of reaching higher levels for schools and individual students is left. General Programmes and Educational Standards are the frame documents in preparing teaching items, individual programmes, and, also, teacher training. The Standards of Economic Literacy lay out certain knowledge and skills. The Standards reflect school's educational tasks, the structure of educational content, scope, theme, evaluation of students' achievements. Furthermore, economic teaching standards describe the so called social and national request to an educational institution; expectations from the student of primary, comprehensive and secondary schools:
1. values (regulations) to be educated;
2. realizing his/her tasks and perceptions;
3. to know certain things.
The Concept of Economic Literacy
Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development Strategy stresses that students' economic literacy is a student's motivation and preparation to adapt gained knowledge and skills to carrying out the practical activities based on the perception of economic phenomenon and, also, it is the level of economic knowledge.
Economic literacy is the part of a social literacy. It includes person's
a) attitude towards activities, organizing and results;
b) mental and practical abilities (critical thinking, making the right decisions, work according moral and legal norms, match social and personal needs);
c) knowledge allowing the orientation in nowadays economical life (work, work productivity, manufacturing, resources, goods and services, inflation, deficit, drawback, advantages of the market economy, consumer right protection etc.)
The Model of Implementing Economic Literacy in Lithuanian Comprehensive Schools
I. primary school - economics and enterprise are integrated into other subject programmes;
II. comprehensive school:
a) till year 9 economics is integrated into other subjects.
b) Year 9-10 economics is into other subjects:
The main aims:
- Creating the base for economic thinking;
- Social adaptation after the change in social economic environment;
- Forming of skills making students capable of deciding about ongoing economic processes
- Forming skills making students capable of making their own decisions as consumers and workers.
III. Secondary school's senior classes - as an optional subject which can be lectured at different levels. The main goals:
- Economical thinking education;
- Ability to evaluate economical phenomenon;
- Analyzing of economical situations and making decisions;
- Forming skills enabling to act properly as a consumer, producer, investor and owner;
- Understanding the connection between other economic and managing issues.
Economics can be lectured as a part of Civic Society Basics course. It could summarize all knowledge about economics gained till form 10 during the lessons of various subjects. Standards of comprehensive school highlight general economic literacy requirements for a young person, graduating from the comprehensive school. Profiling allows the students to choose additional modules enabling them to have a closer look at a compulsory course.
The Main Objectives While Implementing Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development in the System of Education in Lithuania
The Main Objectives While Implementing Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development in the System of Education in Lithuania are stressed in Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development Strategy.
The implementing of Economical Literacy, enterprise education, their stages and tasks are closely connected to ongoing Educational reform, its objectives, tasks and present situation as well. Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development of students can be established through consistent and well planned work. As every complicated process it requires the separation of several stages with their own aims, tasks and implementing ways. The Educational System of Lithuania outlays some special areas:
- human resources,
- the content of education,
- teaching equipment,
- environment.
Human resources are related to teachers' training and can be considered as a critical factor of strategy implementation. Researches reveal that just a small part of teachers at school teaching economy have got basic economic education, which as is often the case, has been obtained in soviet schools of higher education. Teacher training is a long process which can be carried on various forms and methods. Teacher training has to be foreseen on a national level. There, also, has to be created a mechanism of qualification rising, stimulating the teachers of economics gradually brush up their knowledge.
Teaching economics is closely related to enterprise education and is influenced by the environment and mainly the schools community. Economy and business are items which tend to be often discussed in school and at home. In such way there is being created some kind of views and thinking system. This system can't be successful due to one teacher. It is being created by the whole school's community. The necessary condition for it is acquainting school's personal, teachers and administration with the main economic tendencies, principles and enterprise conceptions. Due to the historical circumstances, the biggest part of teachers weren't able to get the knowledge about economy market strategies thus acquainting school's personal with the main principles is of vital importance.
The success of every teaching depends on methodological supplies thus Strategies stress the preparing of tasks, tests, informational catalogues, providing indexes to printed electronical resources.
The strategic plan determines aims, means and equipment. It highlights 4 areas which have to be taken into consideration seriously and carried out paying attention to each other as just common, tuneful operating of all four areas could be successful.
Vilma Tubutiene
Prepared according: The Strategy of Economic Literacy and Enterprise Development, approved by the Minister of The Republic of Lithuania Ministry of Education and Science 2004-06-02 order No.835