NATIONAL QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK IN BULGARIAN HIGHER EDUCATION state

NATIONAL QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK IN BULGARIAN HIGHER EDUCATION – state of development, policies, problems and possible solutions Svetomira Kaloyanova Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Bulgaria

Decision to start: TAKEN BY THE NATIONAL BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Decision to start - done 2007. Authorities in charge are: 1). National authorities - Ministry of Education and Science; 2). Rectors Conference; 3). National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency

Setting the agenda: THE PURPOSE OF THE NQF - Promoting mobility; - Translation and bridge function inside and outside Bulgaria; - Improving transparency of the educational system; - Promote learning outcomes orientation of qualifications; - Support validation of prior learning; - Implementation of the learning outcomes approach, the teaching methods and management of the processes; - Stronger orientation towards the lifelong learning approach; - Stronger cooperation between the stakeholders.

Organization of the process: IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS The stakeholders at all levels have already been identified: 1. Working group № 1 whit task to elaborate a draft project for more precise alignment of the existing NQF; 2. Working group № 2 set the grounds for an overarching NQF; 3. Deputy minister responsible for European integration and NQF supervises the work; 4. BG participates also in the advisory group on EQF to the EC; 5. National coordination point and a national contact person have been nominated.

CONSULTATION, NATIONAL DISCUSSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DESIGN BY STAKEHOLDERS 1. Working group № 1 whit task to elaborate a draft project for more precise alignment of the existing NQF. 2. Organization of workshops. 3. A general study on implementation of learning outcomes was presented in May 2008. 4. A peer learning activity (PLA) on the topic of implementation EQF/NQF on higher education. 5. Table of concordance has been elaborated and presented on PLA. 6. Participation in Leonardo project. 7. Thematic conferences with international participants have been organized.

APPROVAL ACCORDING TO NATIONAL TRADITION NQF is a new kind of merging document. It does not exist as an adopted single document in the national legislation yet. Different aspects of the NQF exist in a number of legislative documents in force. With regard to that, the possibilities for elaborating a separate Law on NQF or amending and supplementing the existing legislation are under consideration.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NQF 1. The description of Learning outcomes is a difficult and challenging task for the Higher Education Institutions. 2. Sectoral Qualification Frameworks within national and international context.

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