Whether we use this time to reduce learning gaps or will be surprised again in 2029 that some tenth graders do not even reach 4 points depends on political will.
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We can spend this time continuing to argue whether a grade of four is too high a requirement for a tenth grader, create new working groups, and discuss the content of assessments. However, if we do not address the reasons why students do not reach the basic level during these three years, in 2029 we will return to the same problem again. Then we will again discuss the bar, although the real question will remain the same – why some students after ten years of school still do not acquire basic skills.
We should agree on one thing – a poor PUPP result does not suddenly appear in the 10th grade. It is a very late signal about gaps that have accumulated over many years but were not noticed and addressed in time. So we can change the statistics and allow all students to move on to the 11th grade, but that will not change what they actually know.
“Education #1,” together with 35 other education, science, business, and public organizations, initiated an appeal to the President, asking to veto the abolition of the PUPP bar. We did this because we want no child to be left without basic reading, writing, and math skills after ten years of school.
In public discussions about PUPP, I still see a false opposition being created. That we have to choose: either keep the bar and leave some students outside the school doors, or abolish it and thus protect them. However, a responsible state should not choose between minimal requirements and support – it must ensure both. If the current system does not provide a clear path for a child who fails PUPP to continue learning, we must fix the system, not abandon the minimal bar.
Do not wait for the tenth grade
If the Seimas agrees to the proposal and we have an additional three years, during this time we must carry out two essential tasks. The first is to create a national student progress monitoring and early warning system that would allow learning difficulties to be noticed much earlier than PUPP.
Schools and state institutions collect various data about student achievements and attendance, but they do not always help to notice in time that action is needed. One poor grade does not yet indicate a big problem, but if a student’s results consistently worsen, missed classes increase, or the same gaps recur, the school must see this and provide help. The national system should also ensure that information about identified gaps and provided assistance does not disappear when a student changes school or moves to another education level. Currently, such continuity is lacking, so a new school or teachers often have to notice the student’s difficulties anew. We also need to evaluate the results of schools and municipalities – monitoring not only one-year figures but also long-term trends and whether the situation is improving.
We should also gain more benefit from national student achievement assessments conducted before PUPP. Their results should show not only the student’s overall score but also which knowledge or skills they lack and where help is needed.
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The national student progress monitoring and early warning system should help not only to monitor student progress but also to timely notice important changes – worsening results, increasing class absences, or recurring learning gaps. For this, it is necessary to clearly agree on which signs should become a signal that action is already needed. A poor PUPP result cannot be the first sign that a child has fallen behind – difficulties must be noticed when there is still time to overcome them.
Help must follow the signal
The second task is to create a targeted support system at the national level. We must ensure that when learning difficulties are noticed, the child actually receives help. It must be clear who will work with them, how long the support will last, when progress will be evaluated, and what we will do if the chosen method does not help.
How to teach a child can best be decided by teachers and educational support specialists. The task of the state and municipalities is to ensure that schools have enough specialists, time, and funds. Today, the help provided to a student still too often depends on where they live, how their school principal works, and whether there are proactive teachers at the school. It should not be like this.
The fact that children’s opportunities are not equal in different parts of Lithuania is also suggested by the large differences in PUPP results. For example, in 2025, 92% of students in Ignalina district passed the math PUPP, while in Zarasai district – 53%. The average score was 7.22 and 4.17, respectively. These numbers alone do not explain why the results differ so much. However, we cannot accept such a gap as self-evident – the state must find out the reasons and ensure targeted support where it is most needed.
Each student must also be offered a further path that corresponds to their abilities and needs – gymnasium, vocational training, or other learning opportunities. Vocational training is not a punishment for poorer results. It is an equivalent choice, but basic reading, information comprehension, and calculation skills are also necessary there.
After three years, success should be shown not by how many students formally moved on to the 11th grade, but by how many actually acquired basic skills. This is exactly what the basic education certificate should mean.
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