INNOVATIVE METHODS OF CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND A MARATHON OF WORKS On 1 September 2020 about 32 500 students opened the doors of Kaunas city schools. 3 000 of them are first graders. When planning the coming school year, Kaunas prepared to implement an innovative format of children’s education to carry out the educational process both in schools and remotely. This mixed type model will be applied for the first time in the country. Each school of Kaunas, depending on the size of the building, the existing infrastructure and the number of students plans the processes of using all the necessary tools and equipment to make the educational process as safe as possible as the pandemic continues in the world. Efforts are made to make the most efficient use of the premises of the educational institution and the outdoor spaces surrounding the schools. Many lessons during nice weather are planned to be held outside. 42
If the weather conditions are not favorable, classes for specific groups will be moved to the premises provided for them. In cases where common areas are used for education – specialized classrooms, gyms, laboratories or similar facilities – they will have to be ventilated and cleaned after each lesson. The two-week period was not chosen randomly – it is an incubation period for the virus, so if one group develops initial symptoms or there appears a coronavirus case among students, only a certain group should be isolated and it could successfully continue the learning process from home. During the quarantine, most of Kaunas kindergartens and schools underwent reconstruction works including repainted walls, renovated interior premises, changed lightning, plumbing networks and other necessary works. Fourteen institutions are equipped with air conditioners. The pre-school education infrastructure that meets modern educational needs has already been installed in three kindergartens. Multifunctional spaces will allow organizing a higher quality and more efficient educational process. Renovation works will also take place. Kindergartens’ facades and roofs will be insulated, interior spaces will be renovated. A new modern kindergarten will soon be built, where it is planned to create more than 200 places for Kaunas children and 50 jobs for preschool education specialists. Estimated 7.1 million euros has been allocated for all renovation works of educational institutions this year. Most of the funds – 5 million – came from Kaunas City Municipality budget and the government contributed the rest to the modernization of schools and kindergartens. Two kindergartens received funding from EU funds. by Rūta Mačytė| ruta.macyte@kaunas.lt