Almost one in ten children in Lithuania attends private schools. Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says this is already a problem. Children of wealthier parents receive a better education. Seimas plans to withdraw budget funding from those private schools whose owners earn profits, sometimes in the millions.
Currently, 321 thousand children attend state schools in Lithuania, the same number of residents in Kaunas city. 25 thousand children attend private schools. Almost 8 percent of all Lithuanian schoolchildren – the same number of residents in Utena or Jonava.
The number of children attending private schools has doubled in the past seven years. The prime minister says this is already a problem. Children from wealthier families have better opportunities.
"Yes, I see a specific problem, which is a two-speed system, two-quality access for the same children of ours. I think we have the full moral right to consider these issues," the Prime Minister said.
Private schools are luring away the best teachers. This is especially visible in Vilnius, which has the largest number of private schools and children attending them.
"Yes, the competition between public and private for teachers is fierce, sometimes even too fierce," emphasized Vilnius Vice Mayor Vytautas Mitalas.
During the election campaign, more than one party talked about private education. They mentioned the wife of former Conservative leader Gabrielius Landsbergis, who runs one of the largest private kindergartens and a school - and before the election it was revealed that she had bought a cheap villa in Greece.
The Seimas has already agreed to consider amendments that would prevent owners of private schools from making a profit if they receive state funding.
"They receive about a third of their funds from public resources, they have very large profits. Plus, they additionally charge parents from 500 to 1000 euros per month for the educational process," claimed Seimas member (MG) Artūras Zuokas.
Now all schools – public and private – receive a class basket from the budget. The more children, the more money. This year, 1,6 billion euros are allocated for class baskets. Private schools will receive 8 percent of this amount – 134 million euros.
It is proposed that if a private school wishes to receive budget funding, it could no longer operate as a for-profit private limited company, but as a public institution that, if it earns a profit, would invest in improving education, higher salaries, or lower taxes for parents.
"Closed joint-stock companies that seek to benefit their shareholders should re-register as public companies in order to continue such activities," said A. Zuokas.
The majority of private schools already operate as non-profit public institutions. This is the practice in other countries: public institutions are French lycées, branches of British and American schools in Vilnius.
But the largest private schools in Lithuania, which receive the most millions from the budget, operate as private joint-stock companies, earn profits and pay dividends to shareholders.
"This is a key point here, so that education money is not pumped out of the education system. So that this proposal can be considered," the Prime Minister said.
One of the larger private schools, "Northern Lyceum," says it has already tried to operate under the status proposed by politicians, but it comes with many restrictions.
"Non-state educational institutions choose a more flexible form of activity in order to more easily attract investments, implement innovations or develop specialized educational methods focused on different student needs. This was also the case in our case - although "Šiaurės lyceums" previously also operated as a public company, we changed the form of activity to a UAB when we were looking for investments for the construction of a new school in Didžioja Riešė, because banks do not finance public institutions," said Eglė Sidorova, head of "Šiaurės lyceums".
There are those who believe that the idea is contrary to the Constitution.
"Now there is simply a desire to create the worst possible conditions for the private sector to participate in the field of education," said Member of Parliament (LRLS) Simonas Kairys.
"On the contrary, even the Constitutional Court has made more than one explanation that if public funds are allocated, they must come with certain conditions," explained A. Zuokas.
The vice mayor of Vilnius says that private schools have privileges that should be changed.
"For example, now state money reaches private educational institutions with slightly different rules regarding class composition than municipal schools," the Vilnius Vice Mayor pointed out.
But, according to V. Mittal, The Seimas The proposed path will not work.
"The author of the proposal, Artūras Zuokas, also knows, perhaps even has personally experienced, that a public institution can withdraw that profit or positive operating result if it wants to," V. Mitalas asserted.
In the near future, the Government must submit a conclusion on whether it supports the idea that private schools should no longer be able to earn a profit for their owners if they are financed from the budget.
Author: Gedas Salyga I LNK.LT
