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QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA

QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA. Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe Regional Ministerial Meeting Yerevan, October 17 - 18, 2013. STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA. Structural reform the hallmark of the European Higher Education Area but:

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QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA

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  1. QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe Regional Ministerial Meeting Yerevan, October 17 - 18, 2013

  2. STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN THE EHEA • Structural reform the hallmark of the European Higher Education Area but: • Lack of coordination between areas of reform • Uneven implementation in EHEA member states • Structural reforms WG one of four main groups in the 2012 – 15 EHEA work program • Co-chaired by Council of Europe, Belgium (Flemish Community), Holy See, Poland. • Some 40 EHEA countries and consultative members participate • Will produce a draft report in fall 2014

  3. BACKGROUND FACTORS Consider structural reforms in relation to the major purpose of higher education: • Preparing for employment • Preparing for life as active citizens in democratic societies • Personal development • The development and maintenance of a broad, advanced knowledge base. Be guided by the following policy considerations: • Students, employers and society at large want more objective, reliable and high quality information about higher education; • Increasing societal expectation that higher education enhance employability of graduates and provide students with skills relevant on the labor market. • Need to build and sometimes even restore trust and confidence in higher education; • A new social contract between higher education and society needs to be defined and established.

  4. AREAS OF STRUCTURAL REFORM Quality assurance Recognition of qualifications Qualifications frameworks Transparency instruments

  5. QUALIFICATIONS IN THE EHEA • Two (later three) tier degree structure (1999, 2003) • Role of the first degree in the labor market (1999) • Recognition (1998 and later) • Mobility • Employability • Qualifications Frameworks mentioned for the first time: • Bologna conference in March 2003 in København • Berlin Communiqué 2003

  6. QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS DESCRIBE How qualifications fit together within and between systems All qualifications in a given (higher) education system How these qualifications articulate How learners can move between qualifications within a system Learning outcomes All of the above in ways that make them understandable to informed foreigners QF: an instrument to describe and make sense of diversity

  7. FRAMEWORKS AND FRAMEWORK National framework • closest to the operational reality • owned by national system • ultimately determines what qualifications learners will earn • describe the qualifications within a given education system and how they interlink Overarching framework • facilitates movement between systems • face of “Bologna qualifications” to the rest of the world • provides the broad structure within which national qualifications frameworks will be developed (“outer limits” for diversity)

  8. OVERACHING FRAMEWORKS Bologna (QF-EHEA) • Adopted 2005 • 47 countries • Higher education only • 3 levels with possibility for intermediate qualifications in national frameworks • Overseen by BFUG and WG QFs, coordinated by the Council of Europe • National correspondents EQF Lifelong learning • Adopted 2008 • 34 countries • All levels of education in a lifelong learning perspective • 8 levels • Overseen by EQF Advisory Board and the European Commission • National Coordination Points

  9. SELF CERTIFICATION The “calling card” for your system Procedure and document by which you convince others that your QF is compatible with the QF-EHEA Respond to the “check list” of criteria and procedures outlined by Bologna WG Include national stakeholders and foreign experts Being open about problematic issues strengthens credibility

  10. SOME CHALLENGES Develop learning outcomes Communicate to broader public and stakeholders Ensure coherence between the different parts of the education system Complete national qualifications frameworks Make them work in practice The job is not done with self-certification!!!

  11. QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS IN EUROPE

  12. WEB SITES Bologna QF web site http://www.ehea.info/article-details.aspx?ArticleId=65 EQF site http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc44_en.htm Council of Europe HE site http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/Default_en.asp

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