Bologna instruments in the Czech Republic: National qualification framework, ECTS

1. Bologna instruments in the Czech Republic: National qualification framework, ECTS Seminar for Higher Education Reform Experts, 10 – 11 November 2011 Bishkek Věra Šťastná Charles University Vera.Stastna@ruk.cuni.cz

2. Czech System of Education

3. Czech system of tertiary education • All standard education, following the formal secondary education, which leads to a higher level of education • According to ISCED 97 there are ISCED 5 and ISCED 6 • In the Czech Republic • Higher education provided by higher education institutions (HEIs) - ISCED 5A and ISCED 6 • Tertiary vocational education provided by tertiary vocational schools (TVS) and in two highest grades of conservatories (ISCED 5B).

4. Tertiary vocational education (1) • Founder :region, ministries, private legal entities, church • 184 TVSs: out of them 117 regional, 7 founded by other ministries, 48 private a 12 church • Tuition fees charged at all TVSs • State or regional: 2 500 to 5 000 CZK per a year, • Mostly economy, health, social work • approx. 30 000 of students (slightly declined to 28 749 students) • 20 TVSs provide a Bachelor degree programme in an agreement with a HEI. The HEIs recognises part of these studies if the graduates wish to continue to a bachelor's degree – they do not have to study from the beginning

5. Tertiary vocational education (2) • ISCED 5B • Different statute than HEIs, there are synergies • 3 years lasting degree programmes – close to Bachelor's ones. • Accredited – similar procedures as in HE – accreditation Commission for TVSs • Organisation of studies • Pre-condition – Maturita/Abitur (completed secondary education) • Graduates are awarded a specialist degree • Part of the final exam is next to exams from professional courses, foreign language exam and a defence of a graduate specialist paper. • Graduate degree „diplomovaný specialista“ („DiS.“) beyond the name • Do not give access to Master's degree programme • Professionally sometimes recognised as graduates form Bachelor's degree programmes

6. HEIs –basic facts (1) • HEIs according to the founder: • public, founded by the law, under the responsibility of the Ministry of education – no tuition fees • private, since 1998, , under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, state licence necessary – tuition fees • state (University of Defence and Police Academy) , founded by the law, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence , resp. Ministry of Interior - no tuition fees • HEIs according to the • university- provide all there levels of degree programmes (Bachelor, Master and doctoral) • non-university- mostly bachelor's degree programs, if accreditation received they may provide a master's degree, but they are not entitled to provide doctoral programs • In 2009/10 there were 73 HEIs – 26 public, 46 private and 2 state • 29 university HEIs (24 public, 2 state a 3 private), • 45 non-university HEIs (2 public a 43 private) 18 of them provide both bachelor's and master's degree programmes

7. HEIs –basic facts (2) • Almost 400 000 students, out of it • Private HEIs about 14,0 % (slightly above 56 thousand) • State HEIs about 5 000 students • Public HEIs about 340 thousand students • Academic staff • professors, appointed by the President-based on the special procedure • associate professors (docents), appointed by the Rector, based on habilitation procedure – defence of habilitation thesis • assistant professors, • instructors, • lecturers and • scholarly, scientific, research and development workers taking part in teaching activities ,

8. Structure of HE qualifications (1) • higher education is earned through studies within the framework of an accredited degree programme offered in line with the curriculum for the given mode of studies • ISCED 5A Bachelor's degree programme – intended to provide the qualifications for practising a profession as well as for continuing to study in a Master’s degree programme • 3-4 standard years (180 – 240 ECTS credits) • academic degree of “bakalář” (“Bachelor”, abbreviated as “Bc.”) • an equivalent academic degree in the area of the fine arts – “bakalář umění” (“Bachelor of Fine Arts”, abbreviated as “BcA.” • used in front of the name

9. Structure of HE qualifications(2) • ISCED 5A • Master’s degree programmes follow on from Bachelor’s degree programmes • are intended to promote the acquisition of theoretical knowledge based on current scientific and scholarly knowledge, research and development and to lead students to apply this knowledge and develop their creative facilities • 1-3 standard years (60 – 180 ECTS credits). • Master’s degree programmes that do not follow on from Bachelor’s degree programmes • In cases the character of studies requires (medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, law, primary teacher training, some arts, psychology), • 4 – 6 standard years (240 – 360 ECTS credits) – 4 years degrees not realised any longer in practice

10. Structure of HE qualifications (3) • ISCED 6 • Doctoral degree programme • aimed at scientific research and independent creative activities in the area of research or development, or independent theoretical and creative activities in the area of the fine arts. • 3 – 4 standard years, usually no ECTS credits • individual curricula under the guidance of a supervisor • are completed with a doctoral state examination and the defence of a doctoral thesis. These are intended to show the ability of the candidate to carry our independent activities in the area of research or development, or independent theoretical and creative artistic activities. The thesis must contain original as well as published results or results accepted for publication • Academic degree of “Doktor” (“Doctor”, abbreviated as “Ph.D.”,), or “Doktor teologie” (“Doctor of Theology”, abbreviated as “Th.D.”, in the field of theology- used after the name

11. Bologna Process – Stocktaking 2012

12. NQF – Czech Republic • Individual national Project (European Social Fund) called Q-Ram • It partly codifies status quo, partly modification instrument • Reform of tertiary professional education – short cycle qualification to be established • Modernisation of HE degrees • To frame all levels of tertiary education – transparancy of the system: • HE almost 9 000 accredited degree specialisations • almost 8 000 provided by HEIs • More than 1 000 accredited in cooperation with TPSs (bachelor level) Academy of science (doctoral level) • TPE- about 360 programmes. • No single system

13. National qualification framework for tertiary education (NQF-TE) • 3 levels of descriptors • National descriptors – based on Dublin descriptors and descriptors of EQF • Descriptors for fields of studies • Degree programmes described by the methodology of LOs • Methodology for implementation of the NQF TE at HEIs • Pilot phase will be started soon- great interest of institutions

14. National qualification framework for tertiary education (NQF-TE) • National descriptors • Derived from the Dublin descriptors and descriptors for EQF • Approved by the Ministry of education in November 2010– • considered minimum level • Descriptors for fields of studies – under development – considered a benchmark • At present there are about 40 fields of study defined by the project (still under discussion) • The descriptors for the fields of studies should be used mainly at national level • for accreditation process - shift form programme accreditation towards field of study accreditation • Degree programmes described by the methodology of LOs • Together with the field of study level benchmarks used for accreditation viewed as a threat from the side HEIs

15. Where we are • Development the NQF – longer time • The status of the Czech Republic – between the step 6: The NQF has been adopted in legislation or in other high level policy (adopted by the Ministry of Education) and step 7: Implementation of the NQF has started with agreement on the roles and responsibilities of HE institutions, QA agency(ies) and other bodies (pilot implementation within Q-Ram) • Two steps that need time and a lot of discussions with stakeholders still ahead – most important: • Step 8:Study programmes have been re-designed on the basis of the LOs included in the NQF • Step 10:The Framework has self-certified its compatibility with the European Framework for HE • At the time being referencing of the national qualification systém to the EQF

17. Curricular reform - Learning outcomes and ECTS – possibilities • At all HEIs the degree programmes were restructured according to the Bologna scheme • Time to evaluate how this restructuralisation how successful it was? • LOs(including standards for students´ assessment)+ECTS methodology could improve evaluation of degree programmes • how the programmes serve the needs of students (emancipation of students – more flexibility, more responsibility), • how they serve the labour market requirements • If defined rightly they help • innovation of degree programmes • diversification of study offer – for future some appropriate modules could happen a partial qualification recognised by the labour market (developed in collaboration with employers) • Could improve drop-out – when students leave institution without any degree as well as without a certificate • Improved methodology of internal evaluation of degree programmes

18. LOs+ECTS + QF = possibility for recognition of prior learning • LOs, rightly defined, could enable defining set of standards against which the informal/non-formal learning could be validated for further study purposes • Basic frame at national level • Recognition in autonomous competency of HEIs (in the Czech system of public HEIs) • It has to be accompanied by further steps – • clearly defined procedures • included in the internal regulations of HEIs

19. Thank you for your attention