Tėvų kaip švietimo proceso dalyvių teisių ir pareigų įgyvendinimo problemos

Abstract

The article deals with the rights of parents to be involved in the process of education. The aim of the article is to analyze parents rights and duties of parents with regard to the process of education and to reveal the problems of implementation of those rights. The right of the parents to act in the field of the education of their children is indicated in the international legal human rights treaties, which allow the parents to choose the education for their children. This includes the right of the parents to choose schools for their kids both from public and private schools. The documents also enshrine the right to choose the religious education for their children. The rights of the parents to choose religious education for their children is also established in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. The Law on Education indicates that parents may receive information about the schools, education programs and forms of education, to participate in the choosing of the particular forms of education for their children, to receive information about the development of the child, to participate in the self-governing institutions of the school and to require good quality education for their children. The right last mentioned, however, is not ensured by any particular legal provisions or remedies, thus seems to be more declaratory. Speaking about the contents of education, the prevailing subject here is the state and education institutions. The contents of the education in Lithuania is outlined in the Education programs, which are prepared by the Common Education Council, and confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Science. Even though it is outlined that this Council encourages the participation of society in the formulation of such programs, the further provisions do not confirm such aim. Neither the functions or duties nor the composition of the Council do not represent the opinions of the parents in this process. There are no parents rights to choose home schooling for a child and to influence the teaching subjects programmes, methods and forms of evaluation of children‘s knowledge, the number of obligatory exams, study load or the duration of study year.