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Towards a National Framework of Qualifications Ireland
A Discussion Document
Document Number: 2001/1
Source: National Qualifications Authority
T he publication of this discussion document, which is the first formal paper published by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, is an important step in advancing the work of the Authority. We need to move to develop a national framework of qualifications. A vital part of this will be to establish the future standards of the awards of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology. A further important element will be the procedures for access, transfer and progression.
The establishment of the national framework of qualifications should have a significant influence on the development of a society of lifelong learning. It is vital that the views of all of those involved in learning, generally, and upon whom the outcomes of learning impact would have an involvement in the development of the important work of the Authority. The publication of the document provides an opportunity to ensure that the approach of the Authority to performing its functions has regard to the views of stakeholders.
There is general agreement on a need for a national framework of qualifications and for the procedures for access, transfer and progression which will flow from that. The Authority is now publishing this document to assist it in developing the framework, such procedures for access, transfer and progression, and other related matters. We propose to put in place a framework with the recognition that all those involved in learning are interdependent on each other in the implementation of arrangements leading to and building on the framework. The Authority hopes that all those concerned will consider the issues that have been raised in this discussion document in an open and constructive manner. The feedback from all those with an interest in this work will be welcomed and valued.
Dick Langford, Chairperson
November 2001
Part I Background to Discussion
The aim of this discussion document is to set out the issues on which the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is seeking the views of its partners in learning. The document is designed to provide a basis for informed discussion about the implementation of the functions of the Authority set out in the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999, and in particular, about the development of a national framework of qualifications. This Chapter provides an overview of the document, which contains three parts, outlining the background, presenting the issues and describing the format of the consultation.
Part I - Background
The Qualifications Act is intended to support the development of a society of lifelong learning. This first part of the document sets out the context for the establishment of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland and describes the conceptual and legislative background for the work of the Authority. The objects of the Act are summarised (Chapter 2). The Act establishes three new bodies with distinct functions, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. These bodies, together with the providers of education and training and the other stakeholders who also have responsibilities, will need to work cohesively to implement the Qualifications Act, in a common mission to meet the needs of learners and society (Chapter 3).
Part II - Issues for Discussion
This section is the main body of the document. It comprises ten Chapters that discuss and explore the issues and implications of the actions to be performed by the Authority. At the end of each Chapter, a set of questions is posed: the Authority is seeking the support of its partners in learning in answering these questions. There is a certain element of repetition between Chapters as each Chapter attempts to present its issues in a standalone fashion.
Chapter 4 - The Authority has three primary objects under the Act: (a) to establish and maintain a national framework of qualifications; (b) to establish, and promote the maintenance of, the standards of the awards of the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology and (c) to promote and facilitate access, transfer and progression. This Chapter introduces the subsequent Chapters which discuss and explore the issues and implications of the actions to be performed by the Authority.
Chapter 5 - This Chapter suggests a set of broad principles that would underpin the establishment of a national framework of qualifications. These principles form a starting point and reference for the development of operational policies and strategies for the Authority, and for the design criteria of the framework itself. Seven principles are discussed: transparency, simplicity, quality, equality, relevance, comprehensiveness and flexibility.
Chapter 6 - This Chapter discusses how the Authority will go about its work. It suggests processes to be adopted by the Authority itself in undertaking the task of developing a framework of qualifications and implementing the other provisions of the Qualifications Act. Eight process guidelines are suggested for the work of the Authority: consultation, inclusiveness, quality process, realism, integrity, efficiency, international linking, and recognition of stakeholders' autonomy and roles.
Chapter 7 - This Chapter begins the exploration of policies and criteria that are to be determined by the Authority for the development of the national framework of qualifications. Award standards are the expected outcomes of learning, inclusive of all education and training. Levels of awards need to be defined in terms of the knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners. The related ideas of knowledge, skill and competence are themselves explored. Various approaches are discussed to setting policies and criteria for awards and award levels. Elements included in these approaches are entry arrangements, duration, development of learners, national currency and credibility, international comparability, stability of award standards, assessment methodology, validation of programmes, permanence of awards, titles of awards, and employability. An important topic discussed is the relationship between generic award levels and award levels within specific areas. Different grouping factors for the definition of such areas referred to include economic sectors, occupations, fields of learning, and subjects. International models of level descriptors are briefly considered.
Chapter 8 - This Chapter continues the exploration of policies and criteria that are to be determined by the Authority for the development of the national framework of qualifications. It raises the issue of the need for the design of the framework of qualifications to contribute to the promotion and facilitation of opportunities for access, transfer and progression into and throughout further and higher education and training. Design features relating to this objective which are discussed include learning units, multiple access points to programmes, modular award structures, portal awards and possibilities for updating learning.
Chapter 9 - In this Chapter, the concepts that relate to the terms Òfurther education and trainingÓ and Òhigher education and trainingÓ are discussed. In the context of the Act, it will be necessary to develop a workable differentiation between these two entities, so that, for example, the awards Councils can identify their proper areas of operation. The issues of relating further education and training and higher education and training to award levels are introduced against the background of existing practice and the concepts underlying the general work on the framework.
Chapter 10 - This Chapter addresses the issues involved in the inclusion in the framework of the awards made by various bodies. The framework is intended to open up the recognition of learning wherever it takes place and to be as comprehensive and inclusive of awards as possible. The inclusion of any award must depend on its standards. Awards to be included are those of public bodies in the State, namely the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Dublin Institute of Technology, the universities, and the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate of the Department of Education and Science. The issue of the inclusion of awards from private bodies in the State, such as professional bodies, and from international bodies making awards to learners in the State, is also explored. Finally, there are issues related to linking the framework to awards made to learners outside the State. The requirements of the Act and international obligations are set out and possible approaches discussed.
Chapter 11 - In this Chapter, the document proceeds to the second objective set out for the Authority in the Qualifications Act: this concerns establishing of the overall standards of the awards of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology. The concepts here are linked to those relating to the development of the framework. The chapter discusses the role of the Authority in setting the overarching procedures for the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, as well as its role in the review of the awards Councils and appeals of certain specific decisions of the awards Councils. The Authority's functions in relation to quality assurance in the Dublin Institute of Technology are also discussed.
Chapter 12 - In this Chapter, the document addresses the issues raised by the third objective of the Authority: the promotion and facilitation of access, transfer and progression. Among the issues raised are accreditation of prior and experiential learning, recognition of learning units, the distinction between eligibility and entitlement, capacity to succeed, portal awards, the need to build on a learner's most recent award, the accommodation of variety in outcome descriptions, the involvement of under-represented groups of learners, the desirability of multiple access points and modularity, the need for progression both within and between providers and awarding bodies, and the need for updating learning. It proceeds to explore a range of possible actions the Authority could take in response to these issues. These include consideration of the nature of the procedures for access, transfer and progression that are to be set by the Authority. In this regard the following elements were discussed: procedures for entry arrangements, systems for credit accumulation, accreditation of prior and experiential learning, the development of progression routes and protocols for providing information. The potential roles of the Authority in leading cultural change and in brokering progression linkages are discussed.
Chapter 13 - Recognising that the preceding Chapters may not have exhausted the issues of relevance to stakeholders, the Authority invites further discussion in relation to the performance of its functions in specific terms that may be relevant to learners, employers and providers.
Part III - Consultation & Next Steps
The document concludes by outlining a consultation process that is to take place in the coming months. Submissions are invited on the document and the consultation process will culminate in a public seminar in February 2002. This seminar will provide an opportunity for individuals and groups commenting on this document to meet and exchange views on the document and on each other's submissions. The proposed schedule of actions following the consultation will lead to the publication in March 2002 of the principles and the policies and criteria for the national framework of qualifications. Following this, the aim is to publish an outline framework and associated procedures to promote access, transfer and progression, by mid2002.
The aim of this discussion document is to provide the opportunity for the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland to seek the views of stakeholders in learning in relation to the functions that the Authority is to perform. It also provides an opportunity for the Authority to set out its understanding of what its functions are and for stakeholders to come to a common understanding of what the implementation of the main provisions of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999, will mean for the development of a society of lifelong learning, in general, and for each of them, in particular.
In this context it is important to note that the objects of the Qualifications Act apply to every individual and organisation involved in the implementation of this Act and are not limited to any of the new bodies established under the Act - the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Further Education and Training Awards Council, and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. In this way, the objects of the Act apply to all learners, providers of education and training, those employed by providers of education and training awarding bodies, State agencies, Government Departments and anyone else who is involved. The objects pull together the aims of the Oireachtas for the implementation of the Act.
The objects of the Act, accordingly, encompass a number of elements. First, there is a combination of objects which reflects a vision for the development of society where lifelong learning becomes a reality and where learning is of relevance. Second, there is a combination of specific objects which can be associated with the establishment of the three new bodies - the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council - and the successful performance by these bodies of their functions, which is dependent on co-operation between the bodies and stakeholders in learning generally. Third, there is a combination of objects which ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the development of learning generally. Individual objects need to be associated with more than one of these combinations.
The objects of the Act can be summarised as follows:
This is the vision within which all those involved in the implementation of the Qualifications Act are to work.
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
Meeting the needs of learners was the central driver for the establishment of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. Learners are the critical group who will benefit from the development of a national framework of qualifications and from the implementation of procedures for access, transfer and progression. Through the framework, learners can have confidence in the quality of their learning and in the relevance of that learning, in terms of their own personal development and in terms of the relevance of learning to society in general, and to the world of work, where this is appropriate. At the same time, it needs to be recognised that, while the work of the Authority will be to the benefit of learners, the functions of the Authority are immediately relevant principally to the Further Education and Training Awards Council and Higher Education and Training Awards Council and to providers of education and training generally. In most cases it is likely that the framework will become pertinent to learners through participation in learning opportunities being made available by providers.
The setting up of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland was a recognition that there needed to be a new body to oversee the development of the national framework of qualifications. Until the establishment of the Authority, there was no organisation with the power and responsibility to develop the framework and ensure that it would be implemented.
The objects and functions of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland are set out in the Qualifications Act. The first object of the Authority is to establish and maintain a framework of qualifications for the development, recognition and award of qualifications in the State, based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners. Related to this, the Authority has the function of establishing the policies and criteria on
which the framework of qualifications shall be based. It is important to note that the Authority is not an awarding body. A further major function of the Authority is to determine whether any particular programme of education and training is further education and training or higher education and training or whether the standard of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners for the purposes of an award is for a further education and training award or a higher education and training award. Building on the framework, the Authority also has a number of other explicit functions in relation to liaising with bodies to facilitate recognition of international awards in Ireland and of Irish awards internationally.
The second object of the Authority is to establish, and promote the maintenance and improvement of the standards of the awards of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology. There is a clear link between this and the development of the framework itself. This object, in turn, is relevant to the function of the Authority to determine the procedures which the Councils need to follow in the performance of their functions and the Authority's review role in this regard. It is also linked to the quality assurance procedures of the awards Councils and the quality assurance responsibilities of the Authority in relation to the Dublin Institute of Technology. The object also incorporates the appeals role of the Authority in relation to validation refused or withdrawn, or delegation of authority refused or withdrawn by an awards Council.
The third object of the Authority is to promote and facilitate access, transfer and progression. Arising out of this, the Authority has the function of determining the procedures to be implemented by providers of programmes of education and training for access, transfer and progression, and publishing these procedures. Under the terms of the Act, providers with programmes validated by either of the two Councils as well as the Dublin Institute of Technology are required to implement the procedures. The role of the Authority is also to facilitate and advise the universities in implementing these procedures and to review the implementation of the procedures by the universities, in consultation with the Higher Education Authority.
Further Education and Training Awards Council & Higher Education and Training Awards Council
Under the Act, both the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council are independent bodies with their own functions. The principal functions that each of them has are as follows:
Clearly, in the Act, there are separate interdependent roles set out for the Authority and the awards Councils. The objects of the Act cannot be attained other than by co-operation between the three bodies and, indeed, with full involvement from a range of other stakeholders.
It is, of course, a matter for the statutorily independent awards Councils to undertake the tasks set out for them in the Qualifications Act. It is important for the Authority to set out that the expectations of stakeholders in relation to each of the three new bodies should be consistent with the statutory tasks of each of the new bodies, respectively.
Providers of Education and Training
Under the terms of the Qualifications Act and under their own legislation and charters, providers of education and training generally have their own rights and responsibilities. Providers, such as those who will have programmes validated by either of the two Councils as well as other providers with independent awarding powers, such as the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology, will all play an essential role in meeting the objectives of the Act. It is important that the arrangements put in place in the framework of qualifications and in related matters facilitate the involvement of all of these providers in attaining the objectives of the Qualifications Act.
It is significant that, in the Act, an important impact of the work of the Authority on learners will be the procedures for access, transfer and progression to be implemented by providers. A linked new requirement in the Act is that all providers of education and training are now to inform learners commencing programmes of the name of the awarding body and the title of the award and of the transfer and progression linkages for learners on attainment of the award. Accordingly, the Act sets out all the elements of relevance to learners and this includes the information that providers must give them. The statutory requirement to provide this information is not limited to any particular groups of providers - it refers to all providers with programmes provided over a continuous period of three months or more.
Furthermore, it is also of note that the two awards Councils will need to put in place mechanisms which provide for the making of an award directly to a learner who seeks such an award without participating in a programme. The Act sets out that the awards Councils may seek the assistance of a provider to perform this assessment function.
Chapter 4 - Introduction to Issues
Approach in Subsequent Chapters
The Chapters in Part II are the core consultative element of this discussion document. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is putting forward the issues in these Chapters for consideration by all the stakeholders. The Authority has not decided that any particular approach set out in this document is to be adopted. Rather, it is suggesting possible ways forward and is looking for the views of stakeholders in this regard.
It is recognised that the Authority is becoming involved in an area within which there have been many developments over the years. In different ways, all those involved have had to consider the sort of issues that are discussed in this paper. For example, bodies making awards have developed their own arrangements for making awards, and such arrangements are in many cases well understood nationally.
In developing this part of the document, the Authority has recognised the criteria in place in the existing award-making arrangements in the State, including those previously in place in FçS, the National Tourism Certification Board, Teagasc, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the National Council for Vocational Awards and the National Council for Educational Awards. As well as this, the Authority has recognised the criteria in place in the Dublin Institute of Technology and the universities as well as those in place for the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate awards. The Authority has also had regard to the processes in place in providers of education and training. The Authority has also looked at international practices. In further developing the work of the Authority, there will be a need to look more closely at all of these criteria, policies and practices.
The Authority acknowledges the valuable contribution of unpublished work that was undertaken by the Teastas Executive, but was not considered by the Teastas board. The Authority has decided to make the Teastas Executive papers available on its website as background documentation for this discussion and to inform people's thinking generally on the issues involved. The Authority would like to thank former members of the Teastas Executive for agreeing to make the papers publicly available in this way.
Building on this, the approach taken in subsequent Chapters is to consider the issues relevant to each of the three objects of the Authority in turn as follows:
The subsequent Chapters are ordered in turn to address specific implementation aspects of each of the objects.
Chapter 5 - Principles Underpinning the Establishment of a National Framework of Qualifications
Introduction
The Qualifications Act refers to the framework of qualifications as being for the development, recognition and award of qualifications in the State. Essentially the framework is a mechanism through which all relevant learning achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way. The national framework of qualifications will become the single, nationally and internationally accepted entity, defining the relationship between all education and training awards. It will continue to be relevant to learners as they continue with learning throughout their lives: in this way, it can be a real step in the development of a lifelong learning society.
Comparative international research on different national systems, particularly the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, reveals that a number of common characteristics of a national framework of qualifications can be identified. All stakeholders and users of the framework are involved in its development and recognise its relevance. In many cases, new qualifications frameworks build on existing arrangements, aiming to work towards greater coherence and flexibility. A crucial objective of any qualifications framework is that all awards have a meaning and a relationship to one another which learners, the public and all other stakeholders can readily understand. Often, a national framework of qualifications has its quality assured by a national authority.
Principles:
The framework needs to be designed to encompass the certification arrangements of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Dublin Institute of Technology, the seven universities and the State examination system for second level schools.
The issue arises about how the framework will operate and what form it will take. It will need to be meaningful for all stakeholders, including learners, employers and providers. The framework will need to provide all those involved with an understanding of how one type of award fits relatively to another. It will need to facilitate the availability of opportunities for access, transfer and progression. The following Chapters of this document set out possible ways for the framework to develop.
The work of the Authority in developing all aspects of the framework will need to be defined by a coherent set of principles. Accordingly, as a first step it is useful to discuss the broad principles that might underpin the establishment of a national framework of qualifications. These form the starting point and reference for establishment process guidelines, development policies and criteria, and in turn the implementation of the framework.
Transparency
There is a need to ensure that all the elements that make up the framework are fully visible. The relationships within the framework need to be clear and easy to understand. Learners need to be able to compare awards. The framework must have clarity. This transparency will affect the development, operation and implementation of the framework. The criteria underpinning the framework will need to be clear to all.
The framework needs to be transparent for its users learners, employers and providers. The framework needs to be understood by and accessible to all. The nature and purpose of an award and its associated progression routes from it should be clear. This is necessary in order to support informed choices and realistic expectations on the part of potential learners, employers and other stakeholders. Transparency is required for both the awards and the structure of the framework.
Simplicity
The principle of transparency is strongly linked with that of simplicity. Underpinning the development of the framework, it is vital that the framework is simple to use and easy to understand.
Building on this, there is a need to use titles for awards that are easily understood and used in a consistent manner. Award titles need to be developed in a way which is distinct and does not cause confusion. The Authority will need to encourage the development of such an approach.
While the structure may, perhaps, be two or three dimensional, there will be a need for the Authority to ensure that it does not become overly complex. Essentially, if there is a need for someone to develop a Òsimple guide to the national framework of qualificationsÓ, the development of the framework will have failed the simplicity test.
Quality
Quality is not only a central issue in relation to the national framework of qualifications; it permeates all aspects of learning and awards. Quality needs to underpin the setting of award standards by the Authority and indeed all of the work of the Authority. To achieve this, planned and systematic actions are necessary to provide confidence in the system. Quality processes will inform all actions of the Authority in establishing and maintaining the framework. These will also need to allow for the achievement of excellence.
Equality
It is vital that the framework be learner-centred, accessible to all learners and able to cater for all types of learning. The attainment of knowledge, skill and competence needs to be transferable between as many diverse awards and providers as possible. It should be possible for all learning to count towards an award. There needs to be parity of esteem for all learning and freedom of movement into and out of learning situations irrespective of learning mode. In addition, parity of esteem extends to all learning, regardless of whether it is acquired though Irish, English or any other language.
Mechanisms need to be put in place to allow for the recognition of previous learning achievements, including achievement that has not previously been recognised. Prerequisites for entry to awards need to be justifiable in terms of the award, promote equality of opportunity and be made clear to learners and stakeholders. This is to support informed choices and realistic expectations on the part of learners and to promote progression opportunities and equality of opportunity. Alternative routes to meeting entry requirements are very relevant.
Relevance
The framework has to be relevant to all users: learners, employers and providers. The framework must also be relevant to the social, cultural and educational needs of local, regional, national and international communities. Where an award aims to qualify a learner for a career or certify a competence in a profession or occupation, it should be able to demonstrate a clear relationship with the relevant occupational or professional standards.
Awards in the framework need to be relevant to a clearly identified need, either current or future. To ensure relevance, the framework will need to contain a variety of entry, exit and re-entry points for learners. Signposts will be needed to inform learners of the options. Within the framework all awards will have a purpose and a relationship to one another which learners, the public and all other stakeholders can readily understand.
Comprehensiveness
The framework needs to cater for all types of learning and for all learners in a comprehensive way. The awards in the framework need to be relevant to leisure, personal and cultural development and employment, and to learners from the whole spectrum of education and training activities.
The framework will need to be as comprehensive and inclusive as possible of all awards attained in the State. This will mean that the awards Councils, the Dublin Institute of Technology and the universities are included, as well as the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. It will be necessary to consider the inclusion of other awards made in the State. These could be awards by professional bodies or by international awarding bodies operating within the State.
It will accommodate an approach which provides for the development of progression routes for learners in traditional occupations and in new and emerging employment contexts. The development of the framework must accommodate existing best practice and the framework should be able to incorporate new models as they emerge.
Flexibility
The framework must be capable of facilitating changing needs and evolving contexts. The framework itself needs to be subject to review. The national framework of qualifications will cater for changing awards and evolving relativities between awards.
The rate of change in occupations and technology will have to be accommodated by the framework. In addition to this, completely new occupational sectors continually emerge and will have to be incorporated. The Authority will need to ensure that the framework is prepared for new developments.
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QUESTION 1 Principles Underpinning the Establishment of a National Framework of Qualifications
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Chapter 6 - Process Guidelines for the Authority in Establishing the Framework
Introduction The context provided by the development of a society of lifelong learning should inform the nature, development and implementation of an appropriate national framework of qualifications. The ultimate requirement will be to have a framework that is understood by all, to which all may contribute and for which all will work together in a spirit of true collaboration and co-operation.
The previous Chapter concerned the nature of the broad principles underpinning the establishment of a national framework of qualifications. These principles, in the first instance, form the starting point and reference for establishing the processes that the Authority is to follow in developing the framework.
It is vital that the Authority establish guidelines for the processes to be followed in developing the framework. These process guidelines are concerned with what the Authority will do in undertaking the task of developing the framework, rather than with the practical elements of framework development.
The process guidelines are an indicator of the steps that need to be taken by the Authority.
Consultation
Stakeholders will be consulted on an on-going basis. The range and the diversity of stakeholders will require a comprehensive approach to such consultation. All aspects of the development of the framework will be the subject of consultation. Ongoing consultation will ensure that the Authority has appropriate regard to the views of stakeholders as the development process unfolds. Indeed, the publication of this document is the first public recognition of this commitment.
Establishing policies and criteria is the vital element in the development of the framework and forms an important part of the initial consultation that will follow on from the publication of this document. The Authority will need to give further consideration to ensuring that appropriate consultation takes place at all relevant stages of the work of the Authority.
Process Guidelines
Inclusiveness
All learners should find that the framework has an award or sequence of awards relevant to their needs. Similarly, all providers will be able to ensure that all programmes can lead to awards which are in the framework, subject to quality requirements. An inclusive framework can accommodate the accreditation and recognition of different kinds of achievement across all learning.
It is vital that ownership of the framework is shared with all stakeholders in the system. It is equally important that stakeholders become involved in implementing the elements of the framework for which they have responsibility. This is essential for the achievement of quality. It will be achieved by effective interaction and collaboration between the stakeholders.
Quality Process
For the framework to function effectively, quality processes will be developed and implemented. In the first instance, the Authority itself needs to ensure that its own activities are underpinned by a quality approach.
Realism
The Authority will accommodate awards in the framework in a consistent and practical manner. It will be vital to look at the practical consequences of the work of the Authority. The positioning of new and existing awards and the development of levels will take full cognisance of the existing awards systems that are in place. The immediate practical implications of a national framework will need to be facilitated. The diversity within education and training will require flexible approaches to the application of the policies and criteria of the framework.
Integrity
The Authority will display integrity in dealing with learners, providers and awarding bodies. It will adhere to the stated principles and apply them in a full and appropriate manner. It will be necessary to develop confidence in the work of the Authority so that stakeholders can take ownership of the development of the framework. Honesty and openness will be applied to all processes involving the stakeholders. The principles of transparency and equality will underpin this approach.
Efficiency
The Authority will endeavour to be efficient in establishing the framework. It will balance the benefits for learners and other stakeholders in developing and implementing various aspects of the national framework of qualifications against the resources required. This includes having regard to the opportunity costs of failing to move ahead with satisfactory solutions even where these are incomplete or not absolutely perfect. The costs of framework development and administration will be kept to the minimum consistent with the achievement of excellence and the maintenance of a quality process. Likewise, there will be a need to ensure that any new requirement of the Authority does not become merely an administrative task. In simple terms, there is a need to ensure that a new paper-generating bureaucracy is not put in place and that energy is not spent on finding ways to get around the bureaucracy rather than on enhancing quality and on improving access, transfer and progression across all learning.
Efficiency, as a mere procedural guideline, should never be allowed to override the basic principles outlined above. In considering the efficiency of the procedures and processes, the Authority will include not just its own costs, and those of the Councils which it funds, but the costs to other stakeholders as well.
International Linkages
The Authority will be aware and informed of international systems. It will establish linkages to all relevant external systems. These linkages will be utilised both in the development of the framework and subsequently in its implementation. In conjunction with the awarding Councils, the Authority will ensure that all aspects of the framework have key linkages to international systems in a way consistent with the provisions of the Act.
Recognition of Autonomy/Roles
Each of the stakeholders has its own role, functions, traditions and responsibilities. These are set out in the legislation, charters, orders etc. covering the establishment of each of the stakeholders, as well as, in some cases, in the public's understanding of a particular stakeholder's role. These will all need to be fully recognised in the development of the framework. In recognising that this is the case, the requirements of the Act and the statutory role of the Authority also need to be taken into account by the stakeholders. The Authority will need to acknowedge that it may take some time for all to become fully aware of the complexities involved. It is hoped that the publication of this document will play a significant role in this regard.
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QUESTION 2 Process Guidelines for the Authority in Establishing the Framework
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It is a matter of prime importance to identify and establish policies and criteria for the development of the framework of qualifications.
The Qualifications Act sets out that the framework is to be based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners. We need to examine how such standards can and should be measured and how the measurements of these standards can be organised. The following two Chapters explore design features that could be incorporated into the framework; the discussion is in the context of the key issues relating to award standards, and the need to promote access, transfer and progression.
Award standards
The framework of qualifications to be established by the Authority is to be based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners. The expression of these standards is an important aspect of awards systems and will require detailed elaboration in the implementation of the framework.
At this stage, there is a need to discuss what standards are and identify some of the issues to be addressed.
Award standards are the expected outcomes of learning, inclusive of all education and training. They concern the knowledge, skill and competence that are expected from the learner who is to receive an award. They concern both general standards (for an award level) and the specific standards for particular subjects or fields of learning. Award standards may refer to the attainment of credit or the receiving of an award.
It is of note that award standards are just one type of standard required for the development of quality systems in the programmes of education and training. For example, providers have standards for the delivery of education, training and services, and awarding bodies will need to develop standards for their own awarding processes. These standards are used by providers and awarding bodies respectively in the performance of their functions. It is recognised that there are various types of standards such as those referred to above. In this document, however, the approach taken is to use the term standards in reference only to the inter-related concepts of
Policies & Criteria for Framework of Qualifications
Levels
Most qualifications frameworks are dominated by a single dimension often referred to as level. The Act facilitates such a structure for the national framework of qualifications and could be said to imply it. At the same time, a framework which is purely levels-based could imply a vertical hierarchy. There are other elements to a framework that may be used to supplement the levels definition. These are discussed further below in the section on Grouping Awards.
The levels in the framework will have to be linked to international developments and descriptors, particularly in Europe where much work has been done by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) in respect of vocational awards and is being done in relation to higher education and training on foot of the Bologna Declaration of June 1999, on the creation of a European higher education area.
In effect, it should be possible to define each level in a broad way in terms of the knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners. However, it is not clear whether this can be done without, in parallel, developing or having regard to existing award standards for specific fields of learning/ sectors. Such award standards would not all have to be examined and further developed at once and, indeed, the history of previous efforts in other countries questions the feasibility of trying to achieve everything at once. However, parallel work on award standards for fields of learning/sectors could be used as a means of verifying the feasibility of the emerging general award standards.
Knowledge, skill and competence The Act refers in several places to the outcomes of education and training as the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competence. This is an implicit definition of learning outcomes for the purposes of the Act and of the framework of qualifications. The Authority could engage in prolonged enquiry into the nature of knowledge, skills and competence and their use in the literature on education and training. The framework, however, needs working common understandings in order to progress and these are developed in the following paragraphs. Such understandings are not exhaustive. The aim in framing them was to provide a way to make some distinction between the three ideas. In practice, most awards, and certainly most outcomes of programmes of education and training, will include some mixture of all three.
Knowledge is the cognitive representation of ideas, events or happenings. Knowledge has meaning outside any context of application or practice. It can comprise description, memory, understanding, thinking, analysis, synthesis, debate and research. Knowledge outcomes may be stated in the form, ÒA learner knows that ...
Skills are action-oriented personal plans for the performance of tasks in interaction with the environment. The exercise of a skill is the performance of a task that in some way responds to or manipulates the environment of the person. Skill outcomes may be stated in the form, ÒA learner knows how to ...
Competence is the practical application of knowledge or skills. The unique characteristic of competence is the effective and creative deployment of knowledge and skills in human situations - such situations could comprise general social ones as well as specific occupational ones. Competence draws on attitudes and values as well as on skills and knowledge. Competence refers to the process and outcomes from the application of knowledge and skills to a set of tasks and is typically acquired by practice. Competence outcomes may be stated in the form, ÒA learner can ...
Establishing Policies and Criteria for Award Levels
Any set of knowledge, skill and competence could be packaged as an award and its attainment used as the standard for that award. To develop a national framework of qualifications, criteria need to be developed for the assignment of awards to levels. A variety of policies and criteria, which are not mutually exclusive, are discussed in the following paragraphs.
There are many national and international examples of level descriptors. The following examples are set out to illustrate the diversity of such descriptors in the context of a particular award - the Bachelors Degree - that has a relatively common international currency. Four examples are given.
Examples of specifications for awards at Bachelors Degree level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Netherlands (Universities), The Netherlands (Higher Vocational Education), and South Africa.
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EXAMPLE 1 Learning outcomes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, framework level 6 An Honours graduate will have developed an under standing of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Through this, the graduate will have developed analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of employment. The graduate will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgements, and to communicate effectively. An Honours graduate should have the qualities needed for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances. U.K. Quality Assurance Agency, 2001. |
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EXAMPLE 2 Award descriptor for South African level 6 (completion of undergraduate or equivalent higher education) Systematic and coherent introduction to, and incipient specialization in, one or several fundamental or applied disciplines, with detailed knowledge of the discipline(s) and an awareness of the variety of contexts in which it/they may apply; introduction to the principles and concepts underpinning the field(s) of study, to tech niques of self-directed work and learning, and to basic research, and identification of key elements of problems and selection of appropriate methods for their resol ution; development of skills and attitudes needed to comprehend and evaluate new information, concepts and evidence from a range of sources; analysis of a range of information under minimal guidance; application of major theories of the discipline(s), and comparison of alternative methods for obtaining data; reformatting of a range of information towards the achievement of a given purpose; progressive study of the literature of the field(s) of study to a level which provides a basis for work at the next level; development of practical skills and techniques required in the effective application of knowledge in a professional context; effective communication in a format appropriate to the discipline(s) and clear and concise reporting of the practical procedures in a variety of formats; effective interaction within a learning group, and development of professional working relationships within the disciplines. South African Qualifications Authority, 2000 (Draft for Discussion). |
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EXAMPLE 4 Generic core qualifications for Dutch higher vocational Bachelors awards A broad professional approach to equip students with up to-date knowledge, incorporating recent scientific information, perceptions and concepts, research and developments in the (international) professional field, preparing graduates who can: independently carry out assignments in their chosen profession from the outset; function effectively within a work organisation; gain further professional experience in their chosen field.
Trailblazers Committee for the Accreditation of Dutch Higher Education, 2001. |
Entry Arrangements
One factor in decisions on the level of award to be attained by learners has traditionally been based on the standards of knowledge, skill and competence of those entering a programme leading to an award or on previous awards attained - i.e., learners are selected on the basis of a qualifying performance at some previous level of awards. The fact of this
performance in itself and the evenness of learner preparation it ensures is a major input into the nature and level of the award which those learners receive on completion of the programme. For example, for an award at degree level, only learners who have matriculated to a degree course are eligible. This is a rather circular argument and it places high reliance on the qualifying assessments. Pedagogically it rests on one of two assumptions: only people who demonstrate an entry qualifying performance are of sufficient ability to proceed to the target award in any circumstance, or only qualifying entrants can proceed to the target award given the specific learning experience currently offered by a given provider.
Duration
A traditional factor in the nature and level of an award is the duration of a programme of education and training typically required by a (usually full-time) candidate seeking such an award at one attempt. Duration can comprise, for example, notional learning time, contact hours or number of years. In different learning situations these can have different meanings, as the length of learning year / learning week can vary widely from one institution or programme to another. It is recognised that, in a way, duration of itself is not the key factor, rather it is understood by all that duration is a way to ensure application on the part of the learner, which is also assessed by other means. For example, a National Craft Certificate is normally reached after four years, a Bachelors Degree is reached after three or four years, and a National Certificate is obtained after two years. Part-time courses and credit-based systems sometimes deal in full-time equivalents or in some way use analogies with duration. Duration is typically operated in a manner which includes pre-requisites for entry, defined programmes of education and training, and process measures such as progression examinations.
It is generally recognised that, if lifelong learning means anything, the concept of duration of learning cannot be the principal driver of the level attained by a learner. Also, the differences between full-time learning and part-time learning need to be overcome. In this regard, it is of note that the Bologna Declaration can appear to be based on a system of the number of years of learning leading to award. However, the fact that the Declaration also focuses on quality assurance processes is also relevant - it would appear that the approach in the Declaration is really to ensure that each country is aware of and confident in the quality assurance approaches of other countries and thus programmes of similar duration can be expected to have consistent outcomes.
Development of Learners
Levels can be differentiated in relation to the demands they place on the learner. These demands, in turn, may be analysed in relation to established and empirically validated models of the development of learning. For example, it is generally recognised that the ability to describe something precedes the ability to analyse something. There are various such models, however, and they may have different implications for the determination of the nature and level of an award. It is not proposed to predicate the framework on any one such model. However, the framework will be informed by these models in a general way.
National Currency and Credibility
Whatever framework of qualifications is determined, it will be necessary to establish its relationship to existing awards in the State. Some of these awards such as the Leaving Certificate, National Craft Certificate and the Bachelors Degree enjoy widespread recognition by learners, employers and the public at large and the new awards framework would have to take this into account. These awards can mark major transition/progression points in the provision of education and training and into employment. Specifying the outcomes associated with these awards, at present, and using these comparators for future awards, opens up the associated progression opportunities to a wider range of learners without undermining public confidence in the integrity of the awards system.
International Comparability
A major advantage of a national framework of qualifications is the prospect of increasing the international comparability of the learning achievements of learners in the State with their peers internationally. Some Irish awards already enjoy some international currency. These include Leaving Certificate, National Craft Certificate and Bachelors Degree. Internationally, various countries are formally attempting to specify their awards in terms of outcomes and this makes it opportune for the emerging Irish framework to take account of these developments. It is not simply a case of adopting existing specifications or descriptors from other countries. Irish awards will fit within a unique national framework and within national traditions of education and training.
Stability of Award Standards
Award standards are intended to be stable and durable. Someone holding an award at a given level should have confidence that another learner with an award at the same level has demonstrated comparable knowledge, skill and competence, regardless of when that award was made. The generic award standards are stable over time. This is not to say, of course, that the substantial content of knowledge, skill and competence will not have changed. Indeed, it is expected that the specific content will be continually updated by those making detailed award specifications and correspondingly by providers making available programmes of education and training.
The specific criteria whereby awards are made are subject to change as circumstances change. The generic award standards are also subject to periodic review in accordance with the principles set out for the framework.
Assessment Methodology
The desired stability of award standards raises questions about the manner in which providers themselves measure knowledge, skill and competence. It may not be appropriate to make an award contingent on the achievement of a learner relative to other learners in his/her specific class, providing institution, or age cohort (norm-referencing). The critical comparison is of the learner's achievement with respect to the award standards. This would not preclude the use of norm referencing within individual components of a learner's assessment or for purposes of making comparisons.
A further issue is that the framework does not presuppose a uniformity or even harmonisation of assessment methodology either within or across levels. There are a variety of appropriate methodologies that may be used to measure knowledge, skill and competence. Indeed, it is in the interests of learners that a diverse range of assessment methodologies is available for the purposes of demonstrating attainment of standards. It is of note that the awards Councils have a function of ensuring that providers establish procedures for the assessment of learning that are fair and consistent.
There can be differing outcomes of assessment processes. In some cases there can be a number of outcome grades - this tends to be more in traditional academic areas. In other words, even where someone has attained the standard of knowledge, skill and competence to attain an award, a specific grade within an award can be assigned. In other cases, awards can be made on the basis of pass or fail - this tends to be in occupation-specific areas. The awards can simply refer to whether someone is able to undertake a specific task. There will be a need to incorporate these different types of outcome within the framework.
Validation of Programmes
A related issue is that the awards in the framework do not relate to the validation of programmes. This is a different issue. For example, the validation of programmes by either of the awards Councils is their responsibility and relates to the processes that they may use to satisfy themselves that a learner on completion of a programme may attain a standard of knowledge, skill and competence. As such, certification would be available for the acquisition of skills whether achieved in formal courses, on the job or in informal settings.
Permanence of Awards
Awards, when made, are generally not revoked or do not expire. The learning achievement attested by the award persists. Where awards confer a license to practise or equivalent access to employment, it is reasonable that demands should be made as to the currency of the knowledge, skill and competence recognised in the award. The knowledge, skill and competence may have a Òshelf-lifeÓ, that is, they may no longer be current. Likewise, the learner may have forgotten what she/he had once learned. Where awards have been made in the past, although the award still stands as a permanent record of the learner's attainment at a particular point in time, further learning may be required for access to a particular employment or progression to a programme of education and training.
Titles of Awards
There is a wide variety of titles of individual awards and awards levels currently in use. In many cases there is some consistency in the use of titles: for example, the use of Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate. However, there is considerable confusion
in respect of awards prior to Bachelors and in postBachelors study prior to Masters, leading to, for example, Higher Certificate or Higher Diploma. Also, for example, certificates and diplomas are awarded for a diverse range of achievements by various providers and awarding bodies. Some of these bodies have internally coherent mechanisms for differentiation among awards of different title. Others do not. The Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate are well recognised awards using the word ÒcertificateÓ. There is a need to consider the extent to which titles of individual awards and awards levels should be clear and consistent
Employability
For many learners, employability is an essential reason for choosing an award. Employability refers to suitability for employment generally, on the one hand, and also suitability for employment in a particular occupation. These could be used as criteria for establishing whether a given award is economically valuable to the holder and some awards can be differentiated on how much of a contribution they make towards this goal. On the other hand, there may be awards within the framework which are not directly relevant to an occupation although they may be relevant in terms of general employability.
Grouping Awards
There will be a need to group particular awards within the framework to assist in the setting of standards. Most existing frameworks group awards in particular ways, for example:
Economic Sectors
The basic definition of an economic sector is a Ôhomogenous group of productive economic activities'. The most common set of sectors is found in national accounts data. Economists define sectors in terms of their output. The sectors can be broad groupings or more specific e.g., the transport sector or the motor sector.
There are a number of existing economic sectors and professional bodies already operating in Ireland. These would have formal committee structures and often carry out research to identify occupational change, labour requirements and standards. They also determine the requirements for entry, awards, progression and recognition. Some of these sectors are directly linked to Government Departments and some of the awards are governed by legislation. The fishing and aviation sectors are two examples.
Building on this approach, economic sectors could be used in a framework of awards to define occupations, which in turn helps in the definition of the standards of knowledge, skill and competence required.
This could give rise to further relevant considerations. Within an occupation or economic sector, relevant subjects and specific levels could be identified. The number and level of subjects/units required for an award could be defined. These could be made up of generic and specific units. These units could consist of the knowledge, skill and competence required. These, in turn, could be further classified on the basis of complexity/level. There could be linkage within a sector and externally. There could be sets of portable skills that would allow transfer, and specific skills that are less enabling in this respect.
Awards for people working within a sector can be defined in relation to other awards within that sector. In this approach, the sectoral context is a key part of the classification of an award. An advantage of a sectoral approach to setting award standards is that it facilitates the participation of stakeholders.
Specific Occupations
Another approach would use occupational groupings. Some awards could be classified in relation to the occupation for which they equip a learner. The assumption is that there is some commonality across subjects or sectors in the level of knowledge, skill and competence required to perform certain occupational roles. These would form the basis for classifying the awards designed to certify a learner as being prepared for these roles. This approach tends to be more prevalent in relation to further education and training awards than in relation to higher education and training awards. In many cases, providers have direct links with the relevant professional bodies and employers and this helps to ensure that the programmes and those attaining the awards meet the needs of the occupation.
The occupational definition faces a difficulty in establishing the comparability of occupational roles. One possible mechanism for making such comparisons is through the examination of the salary levels of the holders of various awards, in a confined way within a specific occupational sector. That is to say that, within a particular occupational sector, a person's salary tends to reflect their standard of knowledge, skill and competence. Such an approach is part of the French system. However, care would need to be taken as salary levels can also depend on supply and demand and comparisons between different occupations are very difficult.
Fields of Learning
Another option would be to adopt a fields of learning approach. This is very similar to the economic sector approach, except that it is based on trying to group learning outcomes into a number of fields. This approach would ensure that, not only are the economic sectors included but other sectors which are not immediately relevant to industry are also included.
Subjects
In this approach, the subject elements of an award, or full awards in a single subject, are coherently set out. A subjects-based approach means there are awards which are not specific to an occupational sector but which are focused on a specific academic discipline or set of disciplines and can be classified in relation to other awards within the same discipline.
Arguably, much of higher education and training is based on a combination of the field of learning and subject approach. In addition, some faculties or departments have an occupational focus e.g., medicine and law, and some have a link with an economic sector, e.g., engineering.
Developing Appropriate Groupings
It is important to maintain the central role of the learner when deciding on the most appropriate approach to assist in the setting of standards. For learners the purpose of the learning will vary. Some learners are focused and take an occupational route from the beginning. Other learners start with a general course of studies and decide later on an occupation. The purpose of the learning will vary and will be reflected in the choice of award.
The implication of the above is that it may be necessary to have a mixed approach for the grouping of awards. One approach might not be suitable for all awards and trying to work from a single approach could lead to problems. Initially, existing awards and levels will have to be incorporated into the framework. Similarly, it will be necessary to accommodate existing economic sectors and professions that are organised and range over various levels of awards.
A further related issue is which organisation or organisations would be individually or collectively responsible for ensuring that appropriate standards are set within the levels framework determined by the Authority. It is clear that collaboration will be needed to ensure that the awards made at each level of the framework and within common fields of learning are appropriate and consistent. This will be an important task, and the relevant organisations will ensure effectiveness by working together, and as appropriate with the Authority. It will also be necessary to have regard to the roles and responsibilities of the Authority, the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Dublin Institute of Technology, the universities and professional bodies.
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GROUPING AWARDS: AN EXAMPLE The Teastas Executive suggested ways to group awards and subjects in the State, to assist in the setting of standards. One of these is as follows:
This listing is given as an example of a possible way to group awards and subjects rather than a specific proposal. |
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QUESTION 3 Relevance of Awards Standards to Policies and Criteria for the Development of the Framework
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The previous Chapter dealt with awards standards, the first issue in relation to the policies and criteria to be used for the development of the national framework of qualifications.
This Chapter concerns the second issue in this regard - the relevance of access, transfer and progression. There is a need to address the impact of access, transfer and progression in the development of approaches for the measurement of standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners and in the organisation of these measurements.
The development of the awards framework will intrinsically contribute to the promotion of access, transfer and progression, in that it will make it clear how awards relate to one another. This will make it possible for the learner to identify
The framework will be a key element in any strategy developed to promote access, transfer and progression: it is necessary that the design of the framework should reflect this. In this context, design features upon which opportunities for access, transfer and progression can be built are a prerequisite of framework construction. This Chapter discusses briefly a number of such design features, which might possibly include:
Many of the issues in this Chapter are further dealt with in Chapter 12 which concerns how the Authority will facilitate and promote access, transfer and progression and the procedures to be established by the Authority. These two Chapters should be considered in combination. The issues are addressed in this Chapter specifically in terms of their relevance to framework design
Framework Inclusive of a System of Credits for "Learning Units"
The concept of lifelong learning implies that learners should be able to undertake units of learning at varying rates of progress, and perhaps not all in a continuous process. This, in turn, implies that it should be possible for the learner to receive recognition for their learning achievements in units far smaller than awards. A system of credit accumulation and transfer could be a vital element in developing a national framework of qualifications.
While there is general agreement that a system of credits for learning units is desirable, it is also clear that many issues arise as to how a system could be structured, and how it would be implemented. These include the following:
Identification of "Portal" Awards that Enable Access, Transfer or Progression
In the range of awards available across Irish education and training, it is apparent that a small number of awards carry particular value and significance - the Leaving Certificate, the National Craft Certificate, and the Bachelors Degree. These can be described as Òblue chipÓ awards. A National Craft Certificate opens access to specific, structured career opportunities. However, the Leaving Certificate and Bachelors Degree are recognised as "portal" awards that enable entry to further learning opportunities. Portal awards can open access to multiple transfer and progression possibilities; this can be more advantageous to the learner than a variety of specific progression channels, particularly in the long-term, in the context of lifelong participation in learning. It is important to maintain the value and credibility of existing blue chip awards in the framework, and it may be necessary to identify other major points in the framework of qualifications that could be developed as portal awards.
Multiple Access Points / Modular Award Structures
Many of the actions that could be built into an awards framework to promote access, transfer and progression are greatly simplified in the context of modular approaches to programme design and delivery. There is a slow but definite trend towards modular formats, often accompanied by semesterisation, by many providers of further and higher education and training. It may be that further development of modular approaches and structures will be a pre-requisite for the fully integrated operation of a framework, and particularly for the realisation of access, transfer and progression objectives.
A linked issue is the need for multiple access points to programmes: this includes the question of entry to multi-year programmes after the first year, but it also involves the possibility of programmes having more than one entry point in the year.
In the design of the framework, the Authority will need to have regard to the developing vision of future structures and practices that allows for more flexible entry.
Possibilities for Updating Learning
In many fields of learning, very rapid programme change is now taking place in response to the changing environment. It is important that providers of education and training should be able to maintain this response, and any new arrangements made in the development of the framework should enable constant updating. In relation to progression, it will become increasingly necessary for learners to be able to undertake add-on programmes so that their original awards can be updated. In many modern employment fields, it is also necessary for workers to have available programmes that lead to Òbolt-onÓ awards that extend the application of their original awards, without necessarily changing the level of the award attained. Clearly, this availability will depend on allocation of resources, but it is also important to ensure that the awards framework is structured to encourage and facilitate updating and extension of awards.
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QUESTION 4 Relevance of Access, Transfer and Progression to Policies and Criteria for the Development of the Framework
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Chapter 9 - Differentiating Further and Higher Education and Training
In the Qualifications Act there are separate definitions of further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other. Further education and training is defined as being education and training, other than primary or post primary education or higher education and training, which is determined by the Authority under section 10 of the Act to be further education and training. Similarly, higher education and training is defined as being education and training, other than primary or post primary education or further education and training which is determined by the Authority under section 10 to be higher education and training. It is clear that a crucial task for the Authority is to define further education and training and higher education and training separately for the purposes of this Act and its implementation.
This has an important implication for the work of the two awards Councils and for the framework in general. It will be necessary for everyone involved to know the separate, but linked, remits of each of the Councils and a significant part of this will be the definitions of further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other.
Under section 10 of the Qualifications Act, the Authority has a specific function to determine either
There is also a guideline in the legislation that a programme of education and training, which leads to the attainment by learners of a standard of knowledge, skill and competence which is not higher than the level at which before the 3rd day of March, 1999, the National Council for Vocational Awards had made awards, is to be further education and training unless the Authority determines otherwise. At that date the National Council for Vocational Awards had made awards at a number of levels up to and including their level three award.
It would appear implicit that awards in the new framework at an equivalent to level three awards previously made by the National Council for Vocational Awards should be further education and training awards. However, the legislation does stress that it is a matter for the Authority to determine. There is a need to consider what are, or should be, the distinctive features between further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other hand, and indeed, the distinctive features between standards of knowledge, skill and competence leading to further education and training awards or higher education and training awards.
Traditionally, there has been a separation between higher education and other education. Such a distinction was generally based around who were the providers of such education. In the 1995 White Paper on Education, Charting Our Education Future, a new distinction between further education and higher education was introduced for the first time, which set out to formally establish a new understanding of further education. This included what was previously known as vocational education and training - courses, which were funded by the Department of Education and Science, for learners who had completed second level. It also included apprenticeship programmes, which it referred to as operating primarily in designated trades. In addition, within further education, it was set out that adult and continuing education and training were to be part of this newly defined sector. The Qualifications Act is the first time that the terminology "further education and training" has been introduced into legislation. Indeed, this Act is the first time that the State has made a separation between further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other. It is also the case that it is the first time that the State has, in a composite piece of legislation, set out to address in an combined way all learning, whether it be in the traditional education or training sectors.
In addition, it is important to note that the distinction between further education and training and higher education and training is not meant to be a repeat of distinctions such as that between education and training or that between vocational and academic/liberal. Such distinctions are not made in the Act and it is not necessary for the Authority to define such terms in isolation from each other.
It is necessary for the Authority to come to an understanding of the difference between further education and training and higher education and training for the purposes of the implementation of the Act. The determination to be made by the Authority in this regard, while it may have an impact beyond the work of the Authority, is a determination that only applies in the context of the Qualifications Act.
It will be necessary for the Authority to establish criteria to define separately further education and training and higher education and training. It is considered that, in doing this, it would be necessary to build on the same policies and criteria that are used in the development of the framework in the first instance. Given that the framework is to be defined, in particular, in terms of the standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners, and that this is specifically referred to also in section 10 of the Act in relation to determining the difference between further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other hand, the approach of the Authority could be to build further upon this.
There are deep conceptual questions arising from trying to separate further education and training and higher education and training, respectively. It would appear that there is a need to provide for direct progression from second level education into higher education and training, to reflect the existing situation for many school leaving learners. On the other hand, there is also a need to have regard to the availability of awards, within the framework, to be made by the Further Education and Training Awards
Council, for learners perhaps seeking access to awards for the first time and to ensure that the framework meets the need of such learners. It would also appear that there is a need for progression for school leaving learners into further education and training. A further related issue is how progression can be made available from a further education and training award to a higher education and training award and indeed, perhaps, from a higher education and training award to a further education and training award.
In considering these issues, questions arise as to whether levels of further education and training and higher education and training could or should overlap. In such a model, some levels would be exclusively for further education and training awards, some levels would be shared by further education and training and higher education and training awards and some levels would be exclusively for higher education and training awards. Furthermore, it is quite possible that a learner could attain, for example, a higher education and training award and may subsequently seek a further education and training award as part of their learning development.
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QUESTION 5 Differentiating Further and Higher Education Training How should the Authority define further education and training on the one hand and higher education and training on the other? Should levels of further education and training and higher education and training overlap? If so what are the characteristics which differentiate between the two at the shared levels? |
Chapter 10 The Inclusion of Awards in the Framework
Introduction
The framework will need to be as comprehensive and as inclusive as possible of all awards attained by learners in the State. This is important in terms of the immediate relevance of such awards to learners and to employers. In addition, it is relevant to progression opportunities for learners.
This Chapter sets out issues in relation to how awards can be included in the framework. It looks separately at the following groups of awards:
The Chapter also looks at international links with the national framework of qualifications.
Awards from Public Bodies in the State The objects of the Act set out that the framework is for the development, recognition and award of qualifications in the State. It is clear that the awards of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Further Education and Training Awards Council and of the Dublin Institute of Technology can be included in the framework through the setting of the overall standards for these awards by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland and the related functions of the Authority in relation to determining the procedures to be performed by the awards Councils in the performance of their functions and in relation to the quality assurance procedures of the Dublin Institute of Technology.
At the same time, there will be a need to include other awards in the State in the framework to be developed by the Authority. Under the Universities Act, and previous legislation and charters, the universities have the right to make awards and to set their own standards of the awards. It will be necessary to include these awards in the framework. Universities have statutory rights to determine the standards for their own awards and their statutory provisions in relation to quality assurance are set out in the Universities Act, 1997. The Higher Education Authority has a review role in relation to these quality assurance procedures and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland has a new role to be consulted by the Higher Education Authority when the Higher Education Authority is undertaking this task. Accordingly, while it is intended that university awards be included in the framework, a standardsetting or direct quality assurance review role for the Qualifications Authority in relation to university awards is not envisaged.
It is also important to include awards made at second level within the framework in a meaningful way. The quality assurance review arrangements for these awards are set out in the Education Act, 1998, and are the responsibility of the Minister for Education and Science and of the inspectorate. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment also has a responsibility for advising and reviewing curriculum and assessment in schools. It will be necessary to have regard to the diversity of certification arrangements at second level. Within the Junior Certificate, there will be a need to take account of the Junior Certificate School Programme. Within the Leaving Certificate, it will be necessary to include the Leaving Certificate Vocational and the Leaving Certificate Applied awards, as well as the established Leaving Certificate. In all of these awards, there is a need to cater for the variety of levels at which subjects are taken.
In summary, it is not the role of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland to oversee the quality of statutory award making bodies such as the Department of Education and Science and the universities. There will be a need for the Authority to ensure that it is aware of the processes and procedures that are in place, and to determine the position of their awards in the framework having regard to the standards of knowledge, skill and competence relating to these awards.
Private Awards Bodies and International Awards Bodies A further issue relates to the inclusion in the framework of other awards and qualifications which are currently made in the State. These include awards by professional bodies or international awarding bodies which operate within the State.
Under the Act, other than the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology, all State-funded providers of education and training are to submit their programmes for validation to either the Further Education and Training Awards Council or the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. Validation is the process by which either of the two awards Councils satisfies itself that a learner may attain knowledge, skill and competence for the purpose of an award. Accordingly, all provision in State funded providers, other than the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology, in further education and training and higher education and training, is generally to lead to an award from either the Further Education and Training Awards Council or the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. In these circumstances, the need to fit national and international awards, other than the ones already referred to, into the framework may not arise, as all the programmes need to be submitted for validation in any case and they would link in through the awards and validation functions of the awarding Councils. The requirement for publicly funded providers of education and training to submit programmes for validation does not take away from their freedom to also seek to have awards made by other awarding bodies in addition to the Further Education and Training Awards Council or the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. Accordingly, the issue of other awards bodies offering awards to publicly funded providers can be considered in this context.
Also, in the case of the institutes of technology, other than the Dublin Institute of Technology, there are specific legislative requirements which they are to follow if they are seeking to enter into an arrangement for making awards with any authority other than either of the two awards Councils, e.g., a professional body. In such instances, any arrangements would need to be approved of by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.
Having considered the above, there may still be a need for the Authority to include in the framework awards by professional bodies or international awarding bodies which operate within the State, where the providers are not publicly funded. One possibility would be to establish the framework initially, and following this, to fit such awards into the framework in an appropriate way. Consideration needs to be given to how this could be done. It could involve working with the awards Councils and with the Dublin Institute of Technology and the universities as appropriate. There would also be a need for the Authority to satisfy itself as to the processes in place in such a professional body or international body for establishing the standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be acquired by learners, and to validate programmes, thus paralleling the validation and quality assurance functions of the awards Councils. Appropriate and rigorous processes for this will need to be developed and implemented. The appropriate involvement of the awards Councils in these processes would need to be considered.
Linkages outside the State
An associated issue is the need to link the framework with international frameworks of awards. In this regard, the Authority has a statutory function to liaise with bodies outside the State which make awards for the purpose of facilitating the recognition in the State of the awards made by those bodies and to facilitate recognition outside the State of all the awards made in the State. This is an increasingly important issue. It is relevant to those with awards from outside the State entering the State and seeking employment or access to further learning opportunities. This issue has recently been raised by the Irish Refugee Council. In addition, it is relevant to those with awards from inside the State wishing to pursue employment or learning opportunities outside the State.
The Authority will need to determine procedures and mechanisms to fulfil this task and to link with other bodies responsible for national frameworks in doing so. There are, of course, countries where national frameworks have not been developed and this would make the task more difficult. Furthermore, while the Authority may be able to advise on an Irish equivalence for an award, it would be a matter for an employer or a provider to accept any such advice.
There are two separate qualifications systems on the island of Ireland. There will be a need for the Authority to work closely with our partners in Northern Ireland, so as to ensure that mobility is supported between the two jurisdictions. This mobility concerns both the mobility of learners themselves and of labour generally. The key role of the Authority will be in facilitating the mutual recognition of awards.
At present the Department of Education and Science is the contact point in relation to two EU Directives on the recognition of qualifications and planning is underway for the Authority to assist the Department.
The Directives are:
The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, with appropriate support from the Further Education and Training Awards Council, is to act as the National Reference Point. The Further Education and Training Awards Council, working with the Authority and the providers of further education and training, is to lead the work of the development of certificate supplements.
There is also a need to explore appropriate linkages with the network of national academic recognition information centres (NARIC). This network is an initiative of the European Commission and was created in 1984. The network aims at improving academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study in the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area countries and the associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus. The network is part of the European Union's Programme SOCRATES/ERASMUS, which stimulates the mobility of learners and staff between higher education institutions in these countries. The national centre in Ireland is located in the Higher Education Authority. There will also be a need to link with the European Network of Information Centres , set up following the Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region. Ireland has yet to ratify this treaty and the Department of Education and Science is at present reviewing its position in this regard.
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QUESTION 6 The Inclusion of Awards in the Framework
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Chapter 11 - Standards of Awards - of the Awards Councils and the Dublin Institute of Technology
Introduction
There is a need to discuss the Authority's second object - to establish, and promote the maintenance and improvement of, the standards of further education and training awards and higher education and training awards of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology. There is a clear link between this and the development of the framework itself. This standard-setting role is also relevant to any university which may be established in the future.
This object in turn is linked to the function of the Authority to determine the procedures to be followed by the Councils in the performance of their functions and the Authority's review role in this regard. It is also linked to the quality assurance procedures of the awards Councils and the quality assurance responsibilities of the Authority in relation to the Dublin Institute of Technology. The object is also linked to the appeals role of the Authority in relation to validation refused or withdrawn, or delegation of authority refused or withdrawn by an awards Council.
Role of the Authority in the Development of Award Standards
The national framework of qualifications is to be developed by the Authority building on the implementation of principles, policies and criteria discussed above.
In the case of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology, the Authority is required to initially establish the overarching standards of their awards. Subsequently, the Authority's role is to promote the maintenance of these standards.
In undertaking this task, the Authority will work with the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology. It must also have regard to the respective statutory roles and responsibilities of each of these.
The extent of the link between the level descriptions set out by the Authority in the framework and the standards of the awards of the Councils and the Dublin Institute of Technology is important. Accordingly, the addressing of this issue is very relevant to the criteria set out above and discussed in relation to the development of the framework.
Working with the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council
The Authority is required to determine the procedures to be followed by the Councils in the performance of their functions and the Authority is also to review the performance of their functions. This requirement means that the Authority will play a vital role in promoting the maintenance of the standards of the awards of the Councils.
There are many functions of the Councils which have a clear link to the standards of their awards. These include the following:
The procedures to be developed by the Authority will be the overarching guide for the Councils to follow in the performance of these functions. It is the responsibility of each Council to implement its statutory functions, which are set out in the Act, and it is not the role of the Authority to either determine precisely how the Council should perform its functions or endorse the manner in which the Council is performing, or is intending to perform these. This is important in the context of the review role of the Authority. Were the Authority to be seen to be either determining how the Council should perform its functions or endorsing the performance of the functions by the Council, this would be inconsistent with the review role, in particular, and with the thrust of the Act, in general. Accordingly, the procedures set by the Authority cannot really be a detailed plan for each Council on how it intends to perform its functions, rather it is an outline of the overarching approach which each Council should take in performing them.
In any event, the Authority has already set a number of procedures for the Councils in relation to the performance of their functions. To date, these have mostly been transitionary procedures. It will also be important for the Authority to ensure that, whatever procedures are set, these are reviewed and updated on a continuing basis.
The first crucial element to the development of procedures is that the Authority is required to consult with each Council on the matter. In relation to the transitional procedures, the practice has been for the Councils to formally advise the Authority and, to date, the Authority has acted on this advice. The advice has been prepared in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
The possible nature of further procedures to be set by the Authority will be subject to further discussions with the Councils. The following are issues that should be considered in the context of such discussions and subsequent procedures to be set by the Authority
The review role of the Authority in relation to the performance of the functions of each Council is also important.
Appeals Role of Authority The Authority has a specific appeals role in relation to validation refused or withdrawn, or delegation of authority refused or withdrawn by an awards Council.
It is generally felt that the availability of appeals processes for these decisions will be of assistance to all concerned. It can help to ensure that the processes of the Councils are robust while also providing for an opportunity to ensure that the outcomes of processes are fair.
The Authority has already put in place the following transitional appeals mechanism in relation to validation being withdrawn or refused under sections 17 and 27 of the Act:
It will be necessary for the Authority to further develop this procedure as appropriate in the future. It will also be necessary in the future to develop particular procedures for appeals in relation to delegation of authority to make awards.
Working with the Dublin Institute of Technology As well as having the function of setting the overall standards of the awards and of promoting the maintenance of the standards of the awards, the Authority has particular links with the Dublin Institute of Technology in relation to quality assurance. These links provide for the Dublin Institute of Technology agreeing its procedures for quality assurance with the Authority. The Authority also has a review role in relation to the implementation of these procedures.
The approach taken by the Authority in working with the Dublin Institute of Technology will need to help to ensure the effectives of the procedures and their consistency with procedures in place under the aegis of the Councils and in the universities.
Collaboration
In light of the common responsibility of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Dublin Institute of Technology for awards standards, these organisations will be among the stakeholders that the Authority will involve in the development of the framework of qualifications.
Collaboration will also be needed to ensure that the awards that they make at each level of the framework and within common fields of learning are consistent. This will be an important task, and its effective implementation will require the organisations working together, and as appropriate with the Authrity.
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QUESTION 7 Standards of Awards - of the Awards Councils and the Dublin Institute of Technology
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