Mathematics education has been changing and developing 
     in Lithuania as everything else for the last almost twenty 
     years of independence. The changes affected educational 
     programmes, attitude towards the subject of mathematics 
     itself, teaching methods etc. 
     We review the evolution of teaching mathematics in 
     Lithuanian secondary schools. We deal with changes of 
     educational programmes for mathematics of primary, 
     secondary and comprehensive levels, peculiarities of 
     system of external estimation of pupils’ achievements in 
     Lithuania and the textbooks of school are reviewed. 
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         Chronology of programmes for Lithuanian 
                       Schools (1994-2008)
    Year 1994 – Project of new  general programme for 
    Lithuanian Schools; 
    Year 1997 – certified general programmes  for Lithuanian 
    Schools, 1-10 grades; 
    Year 2002 – certified general programmes  and the Standard 
    of Education for Lithuanian Schools, 11-12 grades; 
    Year 2003 – certified general programmes  and the Standard 
    of Education for primary and comprehensive levels  of 
    Lithuanian Schools.
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     Challenges  – rapid changes in social and economical life 
     of countries' and increasing possibilities  of educational 
     innovations. 
     Governmental  Acts which influenced renewal of general 
     educational programmes:
     •
      Regulations of National education strategies 2003-2012 
     (Seimas of Republic of Lithuania, 4 July 2003, Nr. IX–
     1700);
     •
      Recommendation of Europarliament  and Council of 
     competence of life-long learning (2006/962/EB);
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    •
    National programme for years 2007-2015 of harmonious 
    Education development. (Decision of Government of 
    Republic of Lithuania, 2 October  2007, Nr. 1062).
    •
    Data of International and National research of Achievement 
    of students –TIMSS, PIRLS, PISA, CIVIC (2003-2007);
    •
     International experience (e.g. Finland, UK, Canada, 
    Australian, New Zealand, Poland and etc.);
    •
     Proposals of gymnasium teachers, of  Universities 
    teachers, of NGO, of politicians and other social partners. 
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    Educational programmes are created, updated and 
    implemented in Lithuania following these guidelines for the 
    education content: 
    •
     make the content of education develop general and essential 
    skills with special attention to training learning ability; 
    •
     deepen the individualization of learning regarding different 
    needs of pupils; 
    •
     strengthen the attainability of the education content seeking 
    the pupils to understand and apply with creativity what they 
    learn; 
    •
     balance the extent of the content of subjects excluding the 
    elements of the content that lost their relevance and including 
    new, relevant elements.
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