STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC ■ Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava ■ Faculty of Civil Engineering ■ Eva Jankovichová ■ Slovakia, Bratislava, October 2012

National Bologna Strategies The implementation of principles of the Bologna Declaration is one of the key elements of the extensive and deep reform of higher education in the Slovak Republic which was started after 1998. This reform was launched due to several internal and external reasons.

The Internal Reasons ■ permanent under financing of higher education resulting in a big internal debt, ■ non-solved property relations of HEIs, ■ the methods of financing not considering appropriately the quality and quantity of performances of provided higher education, ■ low access to higher education, ■ decreasing quality of provided education in higher education institutions and other reasons.

The External Reasons ■ legal regulations ensuing from the accession process of the Slovak Republic to the EU concerned, ■ acknowledgement of the Slovak Republic concerning the all-Europe Bologna process with the purpose to involve the Slovak higher education in the emerging European higher education area.

National Bologna Strategies Strategy of implementation of the Bologna Declaration principles was established by the program document „Concept of the Further Development of Higher Education in Slovakia for the 21 st Century“, which was approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic in August 2000, and also confirmed by the Program Declaration of the SR Government of 2002. Based on this Concept a new Act was developed Act No. 131/2002 of Law Code on Higher Education. In this Act all the principles of the Bologna Declaration are contained and the Act enables their practical implementation.

Slovak Higher Education System n According to Act No. 131/2002 Coll. , on Higher Education and on Change and Supplement to Some Laws n implements all components of the Bologna Declaration - three levels that implement the credit system for assessment n is provided through the accredited study programmes Source: [1] http: //www. astu. tuke. sk/dokumenty/L_131. pdf

The Structure of Public Authorities Responsible for Higher Education n The Ministry of Education of the SR through its organization unit Section for Higher Education: - creates conditions for development of HEIs and university education, - takes responsibility for updating and development of legislation in the field of higher education, - is responsible for implementation of the Bologna principles in higher education, - government establishes the Accreditation Commission (AC).

Slovak Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) The representative bodies are: ● Slovak Rectors’ Conference (association of university rectors) ● Higher Education Council (its bodies are elected by the academic senates of HEIs) ● Student Higher Education Council (members are elected by the student parts of the academic senates ) Source: [2] http: //www. minedu. sk/index. php? lang=en&root. Id=17

Slovak Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) ● are autonomous and self-governing ● the Act on Higher Education defines the area of competence of various self-governing bodies ● HEIs are divided into: - professional-type (21) and university-type (18) - public (20), state (3), private (12), foreign (4)

The Implementation of the Bologna Process in Slovakia ■ The responsibility for practical implementation of the Bologna principles in higher education policy is upon the organization unit of Section for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, the Director General of which is a representative of the SR in the Bologna Follow-up Group. ■ Based on the activity of the European Commission the National Group of Bologna Promoters was established in the SR, being composed of professors of HEIs nominated by the Ministry of Education of the SR in cooperation with the Slovak Rectors´ Conference and the Higher Education Council.

The Implementation of the Bologna Process in Slovakia The implementation of principles of the Bologna Declaration brought to the Slovak higher education: ■ its international dimension which will mean in the future an increase of mobility of Slovak students and teachers in foreign HEIs, ■ recognition of results of study or a period of the study completed in a foreign institution, ■ the form of double diplomas or joint diplomas using the Diploma Supplement and ECTS. ■ The Bologna process also enabled involvement of the SR into European cooperation at quality assurance.

The Social Dimension of the Bologna Process ■ In June 2004, the Act on Higher Education enforced the provisions which regulate the duty to respect at admission to study and at creation of conditions for study in HEIs equal rights without discrimination on the grounds of sex, denomination or faith, marital status and family status, color, language, political or other convections, trade union activity, national or social background, disability, age, property, descent or other status.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Implementation of the Bologna Process in the Slovak Republic Strengths: ● International dimension - The purpose to involve the Slovak higher education in the emerging European higher education area (EHEA). ● Increase of mobility of Slovak students and teachers in foreign HEIs. ● Recognition of results of study or a period of the study completed in a foreign institution.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Implementation of the Bologna Process in the Slovak Republic Strengths: ● Double diplomas or joint diplomas using the Diploma Supplement and ECTS. ● Sum of organization measures and amendments. - The Slovak higher education legislation and practice have introduced the recommendations of the Bologna Declaration concerning the division of higher education into three levels.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Implementation of the Bologna Process in the Slovak Republic Weaknesses: ● One serious problem that STU is facing in implementing the Bologna reforms is the meaning of bachelor degree (first degree). 85% - 90% of bachelor graduate level are continuing to engineers (master) graduate study, while only 10% of engineers continues to doctoral studies. - Process between the first and second degree is in relevant fields automatically, besides architecture.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Implementation of the Bologna Process in the Slovak Republic Weaknesses: ● Bachelor and engineering education is constructed as a continuum. - Bachelor, seem to have no autonomy as a separate step, and it seems that it is actually the first stage of engineering studies. This may on the one hand to explain the poor perception bachelor of industry and society, and on the other hand, can explain a large number of theoretical subjects in the first years of study.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Implementation of the Bologna Process in the Slovak Republic Weaknesses: ● If philosophy of education at STU adopted a new educational paradigm shift from access to education "focused on teaching" to "learning-oriented". - University and faculties should be evaluated in parallel curricula such as bachelor and master study to deal with them than with separate and autonomous programs of study, and when both sets stressed their relevance to the profession as well as the relevance between these two levels. Source: [3] http: //www. stuba. sk/new/docs//stu/uradna_tabula/eua_report_svk. pdf

The Main Challenge Ahead for the Slovak Republic ● the completion of introduction of the main reform measures into everyday practice of the Slovak higher education institutions ● including the enforcement of the act on student loans ● strengthening the system of social support of students ● introducing the student's contributions for covering their study

The Main Challenge Ahead for the Slovak Republic ● In this way the process of transition to efficient multisource financing of higher education will be finalized and the conditions will be created for the solution of long-lasting problem of insufficient financing in higher education. ● The substantially strengthened system of social support of students shall simultaneously remove the economic barriers of access to higher education. Such a new framework of functioning shall enable the higher education institutions to transfer the major part of its efforts to improvement of quality of provided education.

●„. . . In accordance with the principle of institutional autonomy primary responsibility for quality assurance in higher education lies with each institution, and it is the basis for real accountability of the higher education system in the national system of quality assurance. „ Source: [4] Berlin communiqué of the Summit of Ministers of Education of the Bologna process (09/19/2003)

■ Thank you very much for your attention. ■ ■ Eva Jankovichová eva. jankovichova@stuba. sk