After starting a visit to the US on Sunday, Steponavičius pledged to provide Lithuanian schools with methodical materials, noting that a decision was recently made to transfer the informal Lithuanian education to the Education and Science Ministry.
"I am convinced that we will manage to provide more attention and assistance to the 35 Lithuanian-language schools operating across the United States," the minister said at the meeting.
In response to questions from the Washington D.C. school principal Ilona Verbusaitiene, Steponavičius confirmed the ministry's plans to place greater focus on methodical materials so that the Lithuanian language could by taught by people other than professional teachers.
The minister also noted the need to increase the number of teachers at the preparatory training organized in Lithuania.
He said it was necessary to build bridges of cooperation between teachers in Lithuanian schools, which have distance learning programs, and teachers at Lithuanian-language schools abroad in an effort to better understand the needs and potential of children living abroad.
During the working visit to the US, the education minister and rectors of Lithuanian universities will visit universities, research centers and institutes in Washington D.C., Huston, Boston and Chicago, meet with members of the US administration and present the five science valleys operating in Lithuania to Lithuanian communities, US science and business figures.
This is the first visit by a Lithuanian education and science minister to the US after Lithuania regained independence in 1990, the ministry said.
