Lithuania takes over European Schools presidency for the first time

Lithuania has assumed the year-long presidency of the European Schools system from Latvia, marking the first time the country has led the network.

The European Schools system comprises 37 schools across 15 EU member states, providing multilingual and multicultural education, culminating in the European Baccalaureate. The education is provided primarily for the children of EU institutional staff, those working at the European Commission, the European Parliament and other Brussels-based bodies.

The handover took place on Friday, with Lithuania formally taking over leadership in August. Education Minister Raminta Popovienė described the presidency as a significant commitment to strengthening and expanding a system that has operated for more than 70 years.

The Lithuanian presidency will focus on strengthening linguistic and cultural diversity within European Schools, sharing Lithuania's experience in the use of artificial intelligence in education, and improving educational support and inclusion across the network.

A series of presidency events and teacher conferences are also planned to raise the profile of the European Schools system more broadly.

Andreas Beckmann, secretary-general of the European Schools, welcomed Lithuania to the role, saying the rotating national presidency was a vital part of the system's joint governance and that Lithuania's priorities aligned with its mission and long-term goals.

Around 400 Lithuanian children are currently enrolled in the schools.

The Lithuanian presidency will be led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University and the Vilnius Lithuanians' House. Part of the presidency period will overlap with Lithuania's presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

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