Higher education reform - the road leading up to better satisfaction of society needs

Abstract

Although the higher education reform under preparation is provoking discussions in the academic community, there is nevertheless unanimous agreement concerning its aims: higher quality of studies and better funding. To achieve these aims, the working group at the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science prepared a draft plan for the reform and development of higher education consisting of several guidelines: the reform of funding, improved internal management in higher education institutions and use of resources, and conformity of study programmes to the labour market. The plan proposes that the internal management of higher education institutions should be revised and study programmes target quality, not quantity. The fragmentation of study programmes should be stopped and faculties enlarged. Studies in the same field should be concentrated in one faculty and not scattered across several faculties to ensure the better use of intellectual and material resources. Designers of the draft plan raise the issue of the size of state universities and colleges, and their regional distribution, since it is hardly expedient to maintain several similar higher education institutions in the same town. The active cooperation of employers and higher education institutions is also encouraged.