Chapter III. Society and the State
Article 38
The family shall be the basis of society and the State.
Family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood shall be under the protection and care of the State.
Marriage shall be concluded upon the free mutual consent of man and woman.
The State shall register marriages, births, and deaths. The State shall also recognise the church registration of marriages.
In the family, the rights of spouses shall be equal.
The right and duty of parents shall be to bring up their children to be honest people and faithful citizens, and to support them until they reach the age of majority.
The duty of children shall be to respect their parents, to take care of them in their old age, and to preserve their heritage.
Article 39
The State shall take care of families raising and bringing up children at home, and shall render them support according to the procedure established by law.
The law shall make a provision for working mothers to be granted paid leave before and after childbirth, as well as favourable working conditions and other concessions.
Under-age children shall be protected by law.
Article 40
State and municipal establishments of teaching and education shall be secular. At the request of parents, they shall provide religious instruction.
Non-state establishments of teaching and education may be founded according to the procedure established by law.
Schools of higher education shall be granted autonomy.
The State shall supervise the activities of establishments of teaching and education.
Article 41
Education shall be compulsory for persons under the age of 16.
Education at state and municipal schools of general education, vocational schools, and schools of further education shall be free of charge.
Higher education shall be accessible to everyone according to individual abilities. Citizens who are good at their studies shall be guaranteed education at state schools of higher education free of charge.
Article 42
Culture, science and research, and teaching shall be free.
The State shall support culture and science, and shall take care of the protection of Lithuanian historical, artistic, and other cultural monuments, as well as other culturally valuable objects.
The law shall protect and defend the spiritual and material interests of an author that are related to scientific, technical, cultural, and artistic work.
Article 43
The State shall recognise the churches and religious organisations that are traditional in Lithuania; other churches and religious organisations shall be recognised provided that they have support in society, and their teaching and practices are not in conflict with the law and public morals.
Churches and religious organisations recognised by the State shall have the rights of a legal person.
Churches and religious organisations shall be free to proclaim their teaching, perform their ceremonies, and have houses of prayer, charity establishments, and schools for the training of priests.
Churches and religious organisations shall conduct their affairs freely according to their canons and statutes.
The status of churches and other religious organisations in the State shall be established by agreement or by law.
The teaching proclaimed by churches and religious organisations, other religious activities, and houses of prayer may not be used for purposes that are in conflict with the Constitution and laws.
There shall be no state religion in Lithuania.
Article 44
Censorship of mass information shall be prohibited.
The State, political parties, political or public organisations, or other institutions or persons may not monopolise the mass media.
Article 45
Ethnic communities of citizens shall independently manage the affairs of their ethnic culture, education, charity, and mutual assistance.
Ethnic communities shall be provided support by the State.