CE in Hungarian Higher Education

1. CE in Hungarian Higher Education Kosice, 2002

2. CE in Hungarian HE Content • In CONFUSION and TRANSITION • PAST- PRESENT - FUTURE? • Strength and weaknesses • National and international collaboration - NETWORKING

3. What do we mean by Continuing Education Lifelong Learning Adult Education Further Education Vocational training Whose tasks, whose business? Confusion in terminology

4. Transition in several aspects • In HE system • In institutional structure – integration • From elite to mass • From academic isolation to educational market of economy Hungarian Higher Education System: an Overview at http:www.om.hu/english

5. Transition in HE system From dual system – Colleges (BSc. level and Universities (M.Sc. level) without mobility, transferability to Four-level structure – increased mobility due to modular structure and credit system • Accredited Higher Vocational Training (AHVT) • College programs (3-4 years, undergraduate) • University programs (4-6 years, graduate) • Doctoral - Ph.D programs - and specialised postgraduate degrees (3-2 years)

6. Transition in institutional structure Integration – in the late 80’s – about 90 HE institutions half of them enrolled fewer than 500 students, third of them enrolled fewer than 300 students – by now, only 20 universities, and 24 colleges HE institutions controlled by churches Private colleges List of HE institutions and their WEB sites

7. Transition – from elite to mass HE has been elitist • in 1991, 12% of age group of 18-22, in 1999/2000 – 28% Aimed level: 50 % - but not duplication in absolute number – dramatically decreasing number of this generation • State founded and self-financed courses, student loan system • Student/lecturer ratio was 5:1, now 14:1

8. Transition in several aspects • From academic isolation to educational market of economy • Norm-based budgeting, more efficient income generation • HE institutions should become the intellectual centres of regional development CE at HE in a changing approach

9. Law on Adult education • Near to 2500 private firms in educational market • No statistical data are available, • No formal quality control - Registration will be required - State fundings will be given to certain registrated programmes

10. CE in Past-Present-Future • Statements and recommendations of OECD Reports • in 1995 • in 1998 • National Report on LLL Memorandum

11. OECD - 1995 • „The Examiners regret that no major reference to adult education, broadly conceived, has been made by the authorities in either of the laws on higher or public education…” • „There is still little agreement … among interested parties, on what does or should fall under the definition of adult education. Given this incoherence, and the importance of creating a flexible, broadly conceived adult education system to meet the country’s rapidly changing social and economic needs, it is recommended that a national startegy for adult education be developed based on at least the four basic elements:

12. Vocational training and retraining A second chance access route for general HE Continuing professional education General interest programmes accross a wide spectrum of individual and group interest New network of Retraining Centres under the Ministry of Labour Corresponding courses, low reputation, increasing numbers Traditional activity of CE at universities Low level, private sector OECD - 1995

13. OECD 1998 • HE should express their Mission statement and their strategy related to Lifelong learning • Support system for increasing mobility and flexibility should be established • Training programs addresses the needs of • highly qualified professionals • young generation, • employed workforce increasing gaps in society

14. New trends in CE • Flexibility, short term courses • Practice oriented approach • Competence courses • Modularity, transferability • Normative support in adult education • Registration, quality assurance • Regional initiatives

15. Hungarian Report on LLL Memorandum Spontaneous processes in the market of training services resulted in the deficiencies: • Low level of coordination between different forms and levels of training and education, • Lack of visibility and systematic quality-control • Inadequate usage of new training, education and learning methods

16. Recommendations • Reimbursment of tax allowance related to adult education (individual financing dominates in adult education) • Preparation of pedagogues for the new types of roles (guidance, counselling) Hungary – Report on the Consultation Process Conserning Lifelong Learning at http: //europa.eu.in/comm/education/life/report_en.html

17. Weaknesses • Conservatism in HE management • Slow progress in legislation • Lack of institutional frameworks • Underfinancing in HE • Overloaded staff, uneffective fund raising • Low level of awareness

18. External strengthening factors • EU programmes – Tempus, Socrates, Leonardo - European Social Fund • EU initiatives – Lifelong Learning Memorandum, e-Europe action • Information Society – ICT development – non-educational sector • Networking

19. Networking • MeLLearn http://www.lifelong.hu • Thenuce – Socrates/Grudntvig project http://139.165.146.25 • National Council of Distance Education http://www.ntt.hu • MISSION – Socrates/Minerva project http://queen.odl.uni-miskolc.hu/projektek/mission/index.htm