University management: a few problematic things

ENAs it is known, for a long time Lithuanian higher education system has been managed “from the top”, i.e., by central government. In the Soviet times, the main standard documents used to be prepared centrally, all higher education institutions used to follow the same plans and regulations. On the other hand, trying to achieve higher education was important, seeking to assure a certain position in society. Of course, there used to exist a strict so-called professional orientation system (today fashionably called career designing or career planning), which used to select the pupils. Those, who were doing worse in learning, the pupils of lower abilities, used to be oriented to vocational schools. Over several decades, a rather negative opinion formed about vocational schools. After 1990, having re-established Lithuanian independence, Lithuanian higher education system experienced transformation. It needs to be said, that changes of this system were going the slowest. General education sector was being reformed much faster. Higher education system was changing very slowly. On the other hand, administrative restrictions having not remained, plenty of pretenders, seeking to acquire a higher education diploma, gushed to universities. Over the last 20th century decade, the universities were functioning quite well; big threats were not seen or were not wished to be seen. It was the action of inertia. In fact, Lithuanian universities were developing extensively – the number of students was increasing, there were quite enough of activities, the number of payable places at universities was also rapidly growing. Non budgetary financing of many universities reached almost 50 percent. However, imperceptibly the other tendencies became apparent as well. Professional education sector was changing rapidly. Lithuania allocated big financial resources to change vocational school activity in essence. Meanwhile, the universities began to feel the shortage of students.