Vilnius Lyceum
Sirvintu str. 82
Vilnius LT 08216
Lithuania
tel./fax: (+370 5) 2775836
e-mail: rastine@licejus.lt

School

Founded in 1990, Vilnius Lyceum is a state coeducational day school enrolling students in year 9-12. The total number of students is 519, including 81 students in the International Baccalaureate section.

Curriculum

The school is modelled on European gymnasium-type school traditions and offers a rigorous programme, based on national syllabus, which aims at a well-rounded and comprehensive preparation of students in the major academic areas. In 1997, the International Baccalaureate diploma programme was introduced.

National school curriculum:

(number of teaching hours [45 min.] per week, per subject per grade**)

** Year 11 and 12 students choose their programme of 28 to 32 teaching hours per week, including subjects from different academic areas to be studied over two years. Minimum 9 subjects are taken at extended level (A) or at standard level (B). Different number of teaching hours is alloted per subject and per level.

** minimum number of hours per year

IB diploma programme

The following are the subjects offered for year 2008-2010;

The Diploma candidates are required to select one subject from each of the six groups making the Diploma Programme hexagon. Normally three subjects (and no more than four) are taken at higher level (HL), and the others are taken at standard level (SL). HL courses represent 240 teaching hours, SL courses cover 150 hours. By arranging work in this fashion, students are able to explore some subjects at HL in greater depth and breadth than at SL To obtain the IB Diploma students have to pass exams in all the 6 subjects studied in the course of two years and have to participate in the three course requirements that make the core of the hexagon: the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, and CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) programme.

The language of instruction is English.

Faculty

There are 41 full-time and 11 part time teachers; 35 of our faculty hold advanced degrees. The average class size is 28, and in the IB section - 20 students.

Calendar

The school year begins on September 1 and ends on June 14 (for Year 9, 11 and IB1) and May 28 (for Year 10 and 12); IB2 students end their classes on April 30.

School holidays: October 26 – 30, December 23 – January 6, March 29 – April 2, June 14 - August 31.

The school year consists of two semesters with one examination session consisting of three (six for IB students) examinations held in early May

School works five days per week with six to eight 45 minute periods per day; doubled (or 90 minute) periods prevail in Year 11and 12.

Grading System

All course offerings are university-preparatory and marking standards are strict. No weighting is used. Both national and IB students are graded on a 10 grade scale: 10 (excellent), 9 (very good), 8 (good), 7 (above average), 6 (average), 5 (above mediocre), 4 (mediocre), 3 (poor), 2- 1 (very poor).

Students are awarded grades for oral and written activities, projects, experimental work, etc. in the course of a semester. At the end of each semester, they are given the grade average (or semester grade) in each subject. At the end of a school year, students are given final grades which are averages of semester and school exam grades. In physical education, arts, music, ethics, and social service a credit is awarded.

Grading system in graduation exams is from 100 (maximum) to 1 (minimum) in state exams and from 10 to 1 in school exams.

IB students are graded on the IB 7 grade scale only for their final IB exams. The same scale is used for their predicted grades.

Ranking

Vilnius Lyceum ranks students within the year at the end of a semester and a school year on the basis of the grade averages for the semester and for the year, respectively. IB students are ranked separately because of a different type of the syllabus and more rigorous assessment requirements.

Graduation requirements

In order to be awarded Brandos Atestatas (the national certificate of secondary education), year 12 students, taking national programme, are required to have final grades in all subjects studied over the two final years. In addition, they have to pass at least 2 but no more than 5 graduation exams including either state (external) exams or school (internal centrally prepared) exams. Staring with the year 2010 only state exams will be held.

To enter a college or university in Lithuania students are required to pass at least two graduation exams of which the exam in Lithuanian is compulsory.

Students who have completed their studies with final grades 9 and 10 and have passed their graduation exams with points higher than 50 are awarded Cum Laude Brandos Atestatas for the highest academic achievements.

Students who take the IB Diploma Programme have to meet the requirements issued by the IBO.

Results

Graduation State Examinations: year 2008 and 2009

Since 2000, when external state exams were introduced, Vilnius Lyceum has ranked first in the list of schools with the best results shown in the national exams.

International Baccalaureate Examinations: May 2008 and May 2009

University choices

Normally, 99 to 100 percent of Vilnius Lyceum graduates go on immediately to universities and four year colleges; occasionally, 2 to 3 students tend to elect a year off prior to university.

In the past four years Vilnius Lyceum graduates have attended the following universities and colleges: