THE STRIVING FOR THE PRESTIGE OF PEDAGOGUE’S PROFESSION IN LITHUANIA: THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL REALITY

Since Lithuania is striving to increase the prestige of the pedagogue’s profession, the Government takes some bold decisions while implementing the restructuring of pedagogue education, payment for their work. Nevertheless, one more reform raises discussions among school community and academic community members concerning an unclear vision of education; a negative image of pedagogues and their low prestige are still vital. The community of pedagogues lack a dialogue in the process of making political decisions to achieve the school environment built on honesty and equality. The idea of the future teacher is confusing because of the continuity of the reform, when several years later, after the strategy of education changes, new goals will be set, new reforms will be initiated.

The paper deals with the analysis of the media articles on the striving of politicians to increase the prestige of the teacher’s profession, while ensuring the quality of education of professional specialists and improvement of education of the future generation. The aim of the research is to reveal the situation of the striving for the prestige of pedagogue’s profession in Lithuania in the context of political reality.
The research was conducted in January-March 2018, analysing the articles published over the latter year in media of Lithuania; the content of the articles had to contain the notional units “pedagogue, a prestigious speciality”, “pedagogue’s image”, “profession of a teacher”. The research data analysis employed the content analysis method which enabled revealing how the decisions being made at the political level influence the striving to make the teacher’s profession prestigious.

The research results revealed that, in a political point of view, the quality of education services is sought for by ensuring employment of top-level professionals educated in several centres for pedagogue training in Lithuania. Such a mission attributed to education in the future prospect should influence development of society, when young individuals obtaining good education will meet demands of the labour market and will increase the economic growth of the state, too. The opinion of present-day society about pedagogues and education is negative, while depreciating the work of representatives of this occupation, which is sought to be changed after implementing the restructuring of the network of higher education, updating the model of education of pedagogues, changing the models of pedagogues’ salaries based on the part of their occupied position and school funding.

Such education policy receives criticism of the opponents who claim that in the nearest future the offer of educated pedagogues will meet only approximately 2 per cent of the retired teachers of particular subjects. Such a situation requires merging small schools together thus saving administrative costs.

In pedagogues’ mind, in terms of evaluation of political actions concerning the increase of the prestige of pedagogue’s profession, the delayed making of firm decisions is criticised, also regarding the opinion of school community, the merging of universities holding long-lasting traditions of pedagogue education, striving for prestige through the financial prism but not through public education, safety assurance for pedagogues and decrease of children’s liberalism.