The European Qualifications Framework: an evidence-based neutral policy tool?

Author(s):

Pia Cort

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

23 SES 04 E, Education Policy Making: The European Union

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

16:00-17:30

Room:

HG, HS 45

Chair:

Romuald Normand

Contribution

‘This VET area should be cultivated through the use of common frameworks, instruments and tools and supported by consistent use of comparable data enabling evidence-based policy-making’. ("Maastricht Communiqué on the future priorities of Enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training", 2004, p. 4) The aim of this proposal is to provide a critical reading of the EU policy of qualifications frameworks as solutions to the challenges of globalisation. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has been a political priority since 2004 where it was mentioned in the Maastricht Communiqué that priority should be given to ‘the development of an open and flexible European qualifications framework, founded on transparency and mutual trust’ (Ibid). In January 2008, a resolution on the EQF was adopted by the Parliament and the Council. In the recommendation, the objectives for the implementation of a Framework were stated as follows: (12) The objective of this Recommendation is to create a common reference framework which should serve as a translation device between different qualifications systems and their levels, whether for general and higher education or for vocational education and training. This will improve the transparency, comparability, and portability of citizens’ qualifications issued in accordance with the practice in the different Member States’ (own emphasis) ("Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning", 2008) Furthermore, it is recommended that the Member States should relate their national qualifications systems to the EQF by 2010, either by referencing existing qualifications systems to the EQF or by developing national qualifications frameworks. By 2012, all national certificates should include a reference to the EQF level at which the qualification belong. From a discursive perspective, there are two interesting claims made in the policy: 1) in the EU policy documents, the EQF is described as a “neutral” tool of “translation”, “bridging” the quite diverse education and training systems in Europe, and 2) an important consideration is to base it on evidence of good practices from other countries. This is clearly stated in the Bordeaux Communiqué: Basing VET policies on reliable evidence supported by rigorous research and data, and improving the statistical systems and data concerning VET ("Bordeaux Communiqué", 2008, p. 10) The aim of this proposal is to look into these two claims by looking into the “evidence” from countries having implemented qualifications frameworks.

Method

The critical reading will be based on a review of existing research and evaluations of national qualifications frameworks in England, Scotland, New Zealand and South Africa. In the article, I shall look into the issues of “transparency”, “comparability” and “portability”, three policy goals which run across the countries and which are central to the EU justification of implementing national qualifications frameworks and a European Qualification Framework. In a sense, I – naively - take the discourse for granted and try to establish the basis for its claims of being a “neutral evidence-based policy tool”.

Expected Outcomes

The construction of a qualifications framework, even a meta-framework like the European, is not a “neutral” action, but a case of intervention in national policies and qualifications systems. Although, the EQF is claimed to be a “descriptive” rather than “prescriptive” qualifications framework, its focus on learning outcomes and decontextualisation of qualifications is a factor of influencing and harmonising qualifications across Europe. The EQF is about furthering European integration through the free mobility of workers and the establishment of a European labour market. Basically, I shall conclude what seems obvious: there is no such thing as a “neutral” policy – policies are to intervene in, modify, change, restrict some kind of social practice, in this case, the practice of education. And as to “evidence”, there is no univocal evidence pointing in the direction of national qualifications frameworks being better fit to meet the challenges of globalisation and increased societal complexity.

References

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Author Information

Pia Cort

The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University

Dept. of Curriculum Research

København NV

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