Official Translation REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION 30 June 30 1998 – No VIII-822 Vilnius (As last amended on 13 April 2010 – No XI-751) CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1. Purpose of the Law This Law shall regulate the system of non-formal adult education, establish basic principles of its structure, activities and management. The objective of the Law shall be to provide the participants, providers and social partners on non-formal adult education with legislative guarantees, to help implementation of inborn human right for lifelong development of one's personality, to warrant an individual with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills that one needs to be a citizen of a democratic State and to be a specialist in a certain profession, to contribute to creative and sensible use of leisure. In organising non-formal education, one shall rely upon the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, Law on Education, this and other laws and legal standard acts. Article 2. Basic Definitions of this Law 1. “Non-formal adult education” means education, training or studies designed to meet the needs of an individual and society, on successful completion of which no State recognised document testifying to the acquisition of a certain level of education, stage thereof or a separate regulated module, or State regulated qualification, is issued. 2. “Formal education” means State regulated and controlled education, training or studies on completion of which a person is awarded a State recognised diploma or certificate. Formal Adult Education namely, general education, vocational education and training, college level education and higher education shall be regulated by the Law on Education, the Law on Science and Studies and the Law on Vocational Education and Training. 3. “Module” means a part of a learning or training programme which provides the student with knowledge and skills of a certain level and scale. 4. “Providers” means legal and natural persons engaged in drafting and (
- or)implementation of non-formal adult education programmes. 5. “Participants” means adult persons who go in for education, training, professional development, broadening of their cultural and civic outlook pursuant to non-formal adult education programmes. CHAPTER II THE SYSTEM OF NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION Article 3. Goals of Non-formal Adult Education The main goals of non-formal adult education shall be: 1) to help an individual to satisfy his (her) needs of informal learning and to develop his cultural interests; 2) to develop an individual's creative capacities and abilities; 3) to help an individual to become an active citizen of a democratic society; 4) to create conditions for acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for an individual's professional activities and for developing qualifications. Article 4. Directions of Non-formal Adult Education Non-formal adult education includes: 1) fostering of an individual's general culture; 2) acquisition and upgrading of knowledge and skills needed for an individual's professional activities. Article 5. Forms of Non-formal Adult Education The main forms of non-formal adult education shall be: 1) organised targeted informal learning; 2) courses (day-time, evening-time, continuous, short-term and others); 3) distance education; 4) educational programmes provided by mass media. Article 6. Providers Non-formal adult education courses may be developed and provided by Lithuanian non-formal adult education establishments, and also general education, vocational education and training schools, colleges and higher schools that have set up/established non-formal adult education units (divisions, groups, etc.), other legal and natural persons, who have been authorised to provide non-formal adult education according to the procedure established by the Government or other institution authorised by the Government. This provision shall not be obligatory for one-time events of non-formal education organised by natural persons. Article 7. Participants A participant of non-formal adult education shall be every adult person (usually not any younger than 18). Article 8. Social Partners of Non-formal Adult Education Lithuanian State institutions, municipalities, employers and organisations representing their interests, trade unions, religious communities, political parties, public organisations, other Lithuanian and foreign legal and natural persons may participate in preparing, supporting and implementing of non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects. Article 9. Founders of Non-formal Adult Education Establishments State institutions, municipalities, non-governmental organisations and other legal and natural persons may found non-formal adult education establishments in accordance with the procedure established by the Government or an institution authorised by the Government. A non-formal adult education establishment may be founded by several founders. CHAPTER III ORGANISATION OF NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION Article 10. Non-formal Adult Education Council The Non-formal Adult Education Council is an expert institution defining the general perspectives of Lithuanian non-formal adult education development, providing expert analysis of non-formal adult education system development projects and co-ordinating activities of non-formal adult education establishments. The Government or an institution authorised by the Government shall approve the Statute of the Council and the structure thereof. Article 11. The Rights of Non-formal Adult Education Participants Participants of non-formal adult education shall have the right to: 1) receive information free of charge about operating non-formal adult education establishments, programmes, forms; 2) choose non-formal adult education establishment, form and programme; 3) submit proposals concerning non-formal adult education programmes provided to participants, propose their own programmes; 4) receive state support allocated to non-formal adult education in accordance with the procedure, established by the Government, and additional paid leave; 5) after passing examinations in formal education, science or studies institutions, to receive an assessment of the knowledge acquired in the system of non-formal adult education as well as a state recognised document testifying to the acquisition of a certain level of formal education, stage thereof or a separate regulated part or the programme (module); 6) make an agreement concerning non-formal education conditions with the provider of non-formal adult education and (
- or)institution funding this education, if non-formal education is to be paid for. Article 12. Responsibilities of Non-formal Adult Education Providers The providers of non-formal adult education must: 1) draw up a contract on the request of the non-formal adult education participant and (
- or)institution funding this education; 2) ensure quality of provided non-formal adult education programmes; 3) inform State governing and self-governing institutions about provided non-formal adult education programmes according to the procedure established by the Government-authorised institution; 4) develop, up-grade, provide non-formal adult education programmes according to the wishes of participants, founders and supporters of non-formal adult education. Article 13. The Functions of the Ministries, Other Governmental Institutions and Municipalities 1. Ministry of Education and Science shall: 1) develop legal documents regulating non-formal adult education according to its competence; 2) together with the Non-formal Adult Education Council co-ordinate activities of State and municipalities non-formal adult education establishments, define priority trends in co-ordination with regional development programmes; 3) submit proposals concerning State funding and support procedure for non-formal adult education, design projects of development of the system of non-formal adult education establishments and their financing and submit them to the Government; 4) order and finance non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects; 5) order and finance scientific research in the field of non-formal adult education; 6) together with public institutions of adult education found adult education information centres that collect and systematise data on adult education, organise the qualification development of educators of adults, provide information and give advice to legal and natural persons interested in adult education, provide information to the Ministry of Education and Science, non-state establishments of adult education and other legal and natural persons developing and (
- or)implementing non-formal adult education programmes; 7) may support non-formal adult education programmes provided by other institutions and organisations, taking into account their importance and quality. 2. Ministry of Social Security and Labour shall: 1) taking into account the demands of the labour market, develop activities of the adult education system related to non-formal vocational training and continuous education of the unemployed and those who have been given notice to leave the job; 2) Order and finance non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects according to its competence; 3) If necessary, order and support scientific research of non-formal adult education, which helps to adapt to the labour market demands. 3. Other ministries, Governmental organisations, municipalities according to their competence shall: 1) organise and co-ordinate activities of non-formal adult education institutions belonging to their regulatory area; 2) order and finance non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects; 3) order and support, if necessary, research on the current situation of non-formal adult education; 4) investigate demands of non-formal adult education. CHAPTER IV PARTICIPATION GUARANTEES Article 14. Support to the Participants Working under the Employment Contract 1. At the request of persons, who work under the employment contract, state or any other support allocated to non-formal education may be granted, as well as paid additional leave at the time agreed upon with the employer. The duration of this leave, funding conditions and other support shall be indicated in a collective agreement or employment contract. 2. Conflicts concerning paid leave or other support shall be examined according to the existing job conflict settling procedures. Article 15. Responsibility for the Use of Paid Leave A person, who received paid leave and support for non-formal education and used it not according to the purpose, must recover losses to the employer or other natural or legal person who provided support, according to the procedure established by laws. Article 16. Guarantees of Providers Providers of non-formal adult education, registered in the State Register of Education Institutions, shall have the right to receive support in accordance with the procedure for support of education establishments founded by the Government or an institution authorised by the Government. CHAPTER V FUNDING AND SUPPORT OF NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION Article 17. Funding Principles and Forms 1. Interested legal and natural persons and participants may finance non-formal adult education. It can also be funded from municipalities or the State Budget according to the procedure established by the Government or an institution authorised by the Government. 2. Funds, necessary for the development of qualifications and re-qualification of civil servants shall be granted from municipal or State budgets according to the procedure established by the Government or an institution authorised by the Government. These funds shall make up not more than 3 percent of the annual salary fund of the establishments maintained by the said budgets. 3. Courses for the unemployed, including those, who wish to start their own business and other persons in search of employment, who wish to acquire a new or change the present qualification, shall order regional Labour Exchange and finance them from the Employment Fund according to the procedure established by the Law on Support of the Unemployed. 4. The State may support non-formal adult education providing funding to: 1) participants of non-formal adult education; 2) programmes and targeted projects; 3) professional development and improvement of qualifications of non-formal adult education providers; 4) acquisition of necessary premises and equipment for non-formal adult education, and also rent of premises. 5. Non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects ordered by State institutions shall be funded from the State Budget. 6. Non-formal adult education programmes and targeted projects ordered by the municipalities shall be funded from the budget of municipalities. 7. The State shall finance non-formal education for socially supported persons and groups thereof. The Government or an institution authorised by the Government shall establish procedure and amount of funding. 8. Government or an institution authorised by the Government shall establish procedure of submission of applications for funding from the State or municipal budget and rules of using the funds. Article 18. Provision of Premises for the Non-formal Adult Education Establishments Premises belonging to state institutions as well as those belonging to municipalities in accordance with the ownership or trust right, may be provided, on the basis of the contract of lease or the contract of loan for use, to non-formal adult education providers (establishments) in compliance with the order prescribed by the Government. I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC VALDAS ADAMKUS