This is a two-year European Union funded project, implemented by the British Council in cooperation with the European Commission, started on 15th June 2020 and its objective is to support School principals in Lithuania and assist them to implement the changes to the school curriculum as planned by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.
Project Overview
Research evidence from across the world indicates that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil outcomes.
International experts will work closely with school leaders and other key education professionals in Lithuania. They will help them develop their school leadership skills in a way that enables them to become “instructional leaders” in their schools ensuring that their teachers introduce the new competency based curriculum effectively and the implementation of the reform programme is manageable across the country.
Brief Overview of the Project Lifespan
30 leading education professionals from across the country and from different types of schools will work closely with the international experts during the year to build a toolkit of training materials that could then be used in all Lithuanian schools to assist teachers and school leaders introduce the new curriculum even more successfully than would otherwise be possible.In the first year, from September 2020 they will undertake 8 monthly two-day training activities to learn about instructional leadership and how to use these techniques to help school staff implement the new curriculum.
They will learn about: creating a strategic vision and direction for their schools; leading and managing change; planning, monitoring and evaluation; coaching others to become instructional leaders and most importantly – leading teaching and learning and improving the impact of great teaching on young people across Lithuania.
Participants who demonstrate proficiency in instructional leadership and facilitation skills during year 1 will be invited to train other principals in year 2. Under the mentorship and coaching of the international experts, members of the Pilot Group will each train other Lithuanian principals from their local area in instructional leadership techniques. For these training sessions they will use the toolkit which they will have helped to develop during year 1.
By the end of year 2 we expect about 300 school principals will have had the opportunity to develop their skills as instructional leaders and that this will help education professionals across the country to implement the new competency based curriculum.
During the project, all members of the Pilot Group will have the opportunity to take part in a week-long study visit to Wales in the UK to see schools and another education system in action. Wales is of a similar size to Lithuania, is introducing a new school curriculum and is working hard to develop its school leaders. They are seeing rapid rises in their PISA ranking from a relatively low base compared to their UK neighbours, and school leaders and teachers are embracing change supported by local authorities in a similar way to Lithuania. Delegates will visit schools and have access to groups of Welsh educators, teacher trainers and Ministry officials who will share their knowledge, skills and insights with Pilot Group members.
