Bergen and beyond:

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• Bergen and beyond
• the UK takes bologna forward
• London, Friday 1st July 2005

QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS A WAY THROUGH THE
MAZE Stephen Adam, University of Westminster

• 1. Problems and issues the educational maze
• 2. Solutions
• - Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA
• (BolognaHigher Education focus)
• - European Qualifications Framework for lifelong
  
• learning (European Commission)
• 3. Challenges for the UK

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• Problems and issues the educational maze

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THE BOLOGNA PROCESS REPRESENTS UNPRECEDENTED
EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL HARMONY COOPERATION
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However, the Bologna Process suffers from
multiple personality disorder!
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Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde alternative visions of
the EHEA

• NIGHTMARE
• Dominated by free-market ideology
• Creates uncontrolled competition
• Allows unregulated TNE
• Harms educational integrity/autonomy
• Fails to improve educational quality
• Drives down standards
• Curriculum driven by markets
• Harms educational/cultural diversity
• Creates standardised programmes
• Creates HEI dichotomy - elite rest
• Benefits minority to detriment of majority

• UTOPIA
• EHEA embodies clear educational, social and
  political principles
• Successfully merges competing agendas
• Promotes a clear European identity
• Creates more institutional diversity
• Drives up quality and ed. standards
• Increases mobility (not just for elite)
• Increases access, choice opportunities
• Improves flexibility (LLL) efficiency
• Simplifies transparency recognition
• Improves educational cooperation
• Benefits all students, citizens, states, etc.

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A WAY THROUGH THE EUROPEAN HE MAZE EASY?
START Lack of common educational structures
No commonality of educational approach or
methodology No common reference points
Educational chaos mismatched qualifications
FINISH The European Higher Education Area (10
Action lines glued by the overarching framework
for qualifications)
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• 2. Solutions
• Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA
  (BolognaHE focus)
• European Qualifications Framework for lifelong
  learning (European Commission)

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• Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA
  (Bologna)

• First Copenhagen Conferences Qualification
• Structures in European Higher Education
• (March 2003) identified a monster problem
• BFUG working group appointed (March 2004)
• to work on QFs to ensure firm foundations
• for first and second cycle qualifications and
• prevent Bologna turning into an educationally
  
• meaningless bachelors and masters

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• Second Copenhagen Conference report (book)
  recommends a
• framework for qualifications in the EHEA
  (January 2005). It
• proposed
• A new style national qualifications framework
  that employs
• external reference points levels, level
  indicators, learning
• outcomes, qualification descriptors
  (output-focused tools)
• An overarching framework of qualifications is
  also outlined a
• framework of frameworks, an articulation
  mechanism between
• national frameworks that provides a common set
  of cycle descriptors
• Identifies three cycles (based on the Dublin
  descriptors)
• Identifies ECTS credit ranges
• Procedures/criteria for the self-certification
  of national qualifications
• frameworks (NQF) to the overarching framework
• The Bergen Ministerial meeting accepted the
  report and indicated

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We adopt the overarching framework for
qualifications in the EHEA, comprising three
cycles (including, within national contexts, the
possibility of intermediate qualifications),
generic descriptors for each cycle based on
learning outcomes and competences, and credit
ranges in the first and second cycles. We commit
ourselves to elaborating national frameworks for
qualifications compatible with the overarching
framework for qualifications in the EHEA by 2010,
and to having started work on this by 2007. We
ask the Follow-up Group to report on the
implementation and further development of the
overarching framework. We underline the
importance of ensuring complementarity between
the overarching framework for the EHEA and the
proposed broader framework for qualifications for
lifelong learning encompassing general education
as well as vocational education and training as
now being developed within the European Union as
well as among participating countries. We ask the
European Commission fully to consult all parties
to the Bologna Process as work progresses. Bergen
Communiqué,19-20thMay 2005
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• European Qualifications Framework for lifelong
  learning (EC)

• The EC established (November 2004) an expert
  welding group to
• link Bruges-Copenhagen process (VET) to the
  Bologna Process
• (HE),to create a credit-based framework for
  lifelong learning a
• European Qualifications Framework (EQF) - a
  meta framework!
• Incorporates the Bologna HE framework
  (plagiarism)
• Proposals for an eight level meta-framework to
  link national and
• sectoral frameworks across Europe
• 40 page Consultation document Towards a
  European Qualifications framework for
  lifelong learning
• Separate proposals on credit dropped (confused
  mess)
• Consultation mid-July to December 2005
• Draft recommendations of the EQF then to be
  submitted to the
• Council and Parliament spring 2006

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The European Qualifications Framework

• Builds on Bologna and Copenhagen processes

Consultation on the basic form, not a final
recommendation

• Covers all qualifications in lifelong learning

• Meets a clearly expressed demand

• Builds on work of a representative expert group

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EQF
Country A
Country B
Qualifications (A)
Qualifications (B)
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• 3. Challenges for the UK

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Challenges for the UK

• Clarify relationships between UK qualifications
  frameworks and credit systems
• Finalise an English credit framework (post
  Burgess agenda)
• UK to adopt the 60 credit ECTS basis (not divide
  by 2)
• Resolve MA, MEng problems
• HEIs to develop institutional strategies towards
  Europe -ECTS/DS labels, mobility, VET, etc. (
  shape EHEA)
• Decide when to enter the self certification race