Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has stated that he does not plan to initiate a mandatory regulation for starting school lessons at a specific time, such as 9:00 AM or 8:30 AM. He expressed that such a decision is unnecessary and believes that schools should retain the freedom to determine their own schedules. This topic, according to the mayor, is not new and tends to resurface every few years, reflecting ongoing discussions about educational structure in the city.

Benkunskas emphasized that the discretion for setting the class start times lies with the individual schools rather than a municipal mandate. Most of the schools currently begin their instructional day at 8:00 AM, and he viewed this practice as sufficient. His comments indicate a preference for local autonomy in the management of school schedules, allowing educational institutions to make decisions that best meet their community's needs without overarching directives from the city's administration.

This stance reflects broader themes of education policy in Lithuania, where local governments and educational bodies grapple with issues of flexibility and standardization in school operations. The mayor's remarks suggest a cautious approach to regulation, favoring a system where schools can adapt their schedules based on contextual needs rather than conforming to a one-size-fits-all solution imposed from above.