The article reveals learners‘ attitude to vocational guidance services in a vocational training institution based on the results of a quantitative survey and analysis of scientific literature and documents. It analyses the concept of vocational guidance, vocational guidance services and peculiarities of their provision in vocational training institutions including the analysis of learners‘ access to vocational guidance services in a vocational training institution. The article provides the analysis of results of the survey of learners (Stages 3 and 4) studying in vocational training institutions. The need for the assistance of a qualified specialist on vocational guidance is highlighted. Moreover, learners of vocational schools emphasise the lack information on providers of vocational guidance services outside a learning institution.

The article analyses functions and competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser, as well as theoretical assumptions of them. The competences of a vocational adviser in Lithuania are defined in the Vocational Information Standard (2007), which stipulates functions, capacities and operational spheres of a vocational adviser. So far the functions and competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser have not been investigated by the Lithuanian scientists. The article provides a detailed review of the concept of competence and presents the experience of the EU Member States in training vocational guidance specialists. Referring to the analysis of regulatory enactments and scientific literature, general, cognitive and functional competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser are specified. The group of general competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser includes: social competence of a social educator as a vocational adviser; learning competence, competence of effective activity, communication competence, information management competence, project management competence, change management competence, and competence of research activity. Within the context under analysis, functional competences include: vocational information; vocational counselling; upgrading career design skills; co-operation; co-ordination of activity; investigation and needs assessment; vocational information, counselling and planning of activity for the development of career planning capacities; assessment of personal activity; efficiency of support; and competences related to education of family and community. Cognitive competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser include: the knowledge of the vocational guidance content; principles for provision of support, organisation and evaluation of activities. The article presents a theoretical model of competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser.

The Paper, while analysing scientific sources, relevant documentation and results of the quantitative research, considers work opportunities of social educators within the vocational information system. It also investigates the concept of vocational information as the initial step of vocational guidance, reviews functional responsibilities of a social educator as a vocational information counsellor and realisation of these functions in education institutions. The Paper also contains the analysis of questionnaire filled in by 8–12 grade pupils of comprehensive schools, their parents, class tutors and heads of schools. It revealed that the role of social educators in rendering vocational information services to pupils of comprehensive schools was insufficient and, consequently identified the necessity to include the development of vocational information competences into the curricula of study programmes of social educators.

The concept of Constitutional democracy in Lithuania was disscussed in the provisional Law which was a revised version of the Constitution of the Lithuanian Socialist Soviet Republic and adoption of new Constitution. Lithuania is creative democratic and parliamentary republic with partial separation of powers as a consequence of political compromise; in the summer and autumn of 1992. The authors analyze Lithuania s first governmental unit of resistance was the relatively free election of pro-Lithuanian delegates to a parliamentary body of the Soviet Union. The authors fix all governmental bodies, institutions and elections results in historical and political life perspectives.

The article analyses a topical problem of social skills development of children at crisis. The programme “Self-cognition“ implemented by the club of innovative programmes “Rafaelis“ is presented and the importance of the role of the programme to development of individual’s social emotional intellect is revealed. The article also introduces the tested methodology of social skills development, empiric research data on peculiarities of social skills development of children at crisis while implementing the programme “Self-cognition”. On the basis of the data analysis the conclusions are drawn, where peculiarities of social skills development of children at crisis are generalised that reveal the necessity to individualise the programme of social skills development while working with children at crisis striving for more considerable changes in development of such children’s social skills; during the implementation of the programme a wide range of activities should be organised to stimulate self-expression and acknowledgment of children in all the groups. The success of social skills development is determined not only by the established working atmosphere but also by a professional competence of a social educator to be flexible and creative during the session. Empirically substantiated research conclusions and practical recommendations can be of use for specialists implementing social programmes.

Authors of the article deal with the problem of social participation of students while studying in basic school. One of the most important aims of education is to help them to perceive themselves as a members of community, as a members of the whole society and become an active and creative participant of this society. Contemporary school creates the climate which has to be friendly to each student and has to help them to develop social competences as a main indicator of the creator of society. Social participation of students are seen as a main actor of socialization process. Thus basic school pays strong attention to organization and improvement of social activities in the school as well as outside the school life of students. Social education includes students social and civic culture, embodies humanistic and democratic values and principles and responds to individual and changing needs of the society. Social activities are an integral part of general and basic education. The organization of the educational process, additional education, school-community partnership, communication and cooperation in its relations with the local community promote students social maturity of the whole school community life. Theoretical analysis show that social activities in school educate not only the student’s knowledge, skills and understanding, but also affect in personal and spiritual powers.