Integration of foreign children into the general education system

• The number of school-age children arriving in Lithuania from abroad is growing every year: in 2021–2022, foreign children accounted for 0.58% of all pupils in general education schools, and in 2024–2025, they will account for 4.18%.
• The proportion of foreign children learning in Lithuanian is decreasing every year: in 2022–2023, they accounted for almost 56%, and in 2024–2025, 44%. Almost half of these children were taught in Russian and Ukrainian.
• In 2025, 52% of foreign pupils failed to reach the threshold level (4 points) in Lithuanian language proficiency tests.
• There is a lack of training for teachers on how to educate foreign children.

Almost 15,000 foreign children attend general education schools in Lithuania. 67% of them are Ukrainian citizens. The results of the National Audit Office's audit Integration of foreign children into the general education system show that the integration of these children is hampered by unequal opportunities to learn Lithuanian and receive educational support. There is also no consistent professional development for teachers to help them acquire the necessary skills and prepare to teach foreign children. Finally, there is no consistent national planning for the integration of foreign children and no mechanism for monitoring results.

"We must ensure that every child who comes to Lithuania has equal opportunities to learn the Lithuanian language and receive the necessary educational support. This is extremely important for their successful integration into our country and for social cohesion. The audit shows that, at present, the education of foreign children is, in essence, very unsystematic. There is a lack of both a forward-looking national education concept and well-coordinated action by central and local authorities. Therefore, it is necessary to create a national model for the education of foreign children. By addressing the challenges of integration, we will also prevent possible social tensions in the future," says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.

The proportion of foreign children studying in Lithuanian is decreasing every year: in 2022–2023, they accounted for almost 56%, and in 2024–2025, 44%. Almost half of them studied in Russian (almost 29%) and Ukrainian (almost 21%), which hinders integration, limits opportunities to continue studying at Lithuanian higher education institutions, and contribute to the social life of our country.

For successful integration and academic success, it is important for foreign pupils to learn Lithuanian well. One of the methods recommended by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports is intensive learning in compensatory classes. In 2024–2025, only 8.7% of foreign pupils who arrived in Lithuania spent their first year learning Lithuanian intensively in such classes. In more than half (37 out of 55) of the general education schools assessed during the audit, foreign children in grades 5–12 learned Lithuanian in regular classes during their first year of arrival, rather than in separate classes, as recommended. The schools indicated that they were unable to organize separate Lithuanian language classes for foreign children due to a lack of teachers.

In 2025, 52% of foreign pupils failed to achieve the threshold level (4 points) required for successful further academic progress in Lithuanian language basic education achievement tests, and 58% of these children failed the state matriculation exam in Lithuanian language and literature (level B).

Teachers need the skills to work with foreign pupils, especially given their growing numbers. This area is identified as a priority for professional development, but there is no consistent system for developing teachers' qualifications specifically for teaching these children. The audit revealed that the integration of foreign children into the education system is not consistently planned and monitored – there are no indicators to measure progress, the results of integration are not evaluated, and data on funding is not systematically collected. Therefore, there is no basis for making informed decisions, planning actions in a reasonable manner, or evaluating the efficiency of the funding allocated at the national and municipal levels.

Expected impact of the audit following the implementation of the National Audit Office's recommendations

Implementing the recommendations and creating a national model for the education and integration of foreign children would ensure their integration into the general education system. More than half of these children would be taught in Lithuanian. The number of children who do not reach the threshold level of Lithuanian language proficiency would decrease. At least 80% of children would learn Lithuanian intensively during their first year of arrival and receive the necessary educational support. Individual education plans would be drawn up for all children. Each year, at least 100 teachers would develop their qualifications in accordance with the national program for developing the qualifications of teachers of foreign children and would be better prepared to work with these children.

The audit Integration of foreign children into the general education system contributes to the cooperative audit carried out in 2024–2025 by the supreme audit institutions of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany (land of Hesse), Ukraine, and Lithuania on the topic of Implementation of Ukrainian children's right to education in European schools.