Mokyklų bendruomenių lūkesčiai dėl švietimo įstaigų tinklo pertvarkos ir jos valdymo vertinimas: apklausos atviro tipo klausimynu rezultatai
Expectations of School Communities in the Conditions of School Network Optimization and Evaluation of its Management

Summary/Abstract: The results of the research on the Lithuanian School Network Reform are presented in this article. The research was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuanian Republic. The article consists of five parts: 1) introduction, 2) theoretical background, 3) methodology, 4) research results, and 4) conclusions. In the first part the methodology and the sample of the research are described. Structural characteristics of the educational management concept in the context of educational reform as well as experience other countries in the realization of educational reforms are presented in the second part of the article. The analysis of scientific literature has highlighted the so called classical management principles: 1) realization of planning, organization, administration and control functions, or 2) significance of a socio-political, economic and cultural context, and 3) orientation to wards effective resource management described as educational management characteristics. The research sample (N = 520) are respondents from six municipalities involved in the school network reform: school heads, teachers, parents and pupils from Kaunas, Mažeikiai, Varėna, Pasvalys, Šalčininkai districts and Klaipėda city. Three questions were asked: 1) about problems; 2) about achievements in the process of network reorganization and 3) respondents’ recommendations on how the reform should continue. The results of the research highlighted problems on municipality and school level, i. e. middle and lowest levels of educational management. Ambiguities of the school network reform when the same things were assessed as problems and merits were highlighted. These ambiguous aspects are related to management of human and material resources. Local administration problems, slow and ineffective realization of school network reorganization policy as well as insufficient management of pupils’ transportation system especially a lack of school buses and information were essential problems on municipality or middle administration level. Problems on school (or lowest administration) level were: 1) management of pupils’ transportation system, 2) teacher employment and payment, 3) reduced school finances because of a decreased number of pupils. Some aspects of material and human management may be characterised as positive aspects of the school network reform, e. g.: 1) schools participating in the reorganization process are better financed and enriched of material base; 2) teachers may assess their competencies and qualifications. Despite this the respondents recommend: 1) to develop the systems of educational administration and finance; 2) to develop material resourses and 4) preconditions for higher education quality 5) to give more information about the reorganization to process of school network.

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