BALAKRISHANAN VASSU | MALAYSIAN QUALIFICATIONS AGENCY

Outline 1. Historical Development of MQF

2. Malaysia Qualifications Framework – Definitions, Purpose and Role

3. Impact on Learners and the Community – Benefits (Recognition of Prior Learning, Equivalency of Qualifications Parity of Esteem and Value of Credits)

4.Opportunity for Regional Frameworks

5. Establishment of Meta Framework - Opportunities and Challenges

Historical Development of MQF

• LAN – Rationalizing various equivalency of qualifications via cross border, distancelearning and study home

• Types of Qualifications – Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Advanced Diploma

• Series of equivalency evaluations conducted on Certificate, Diploma and HigherDiploma (LCCI UK, ABE UK, HND BTEK EDEXCEL UK, CIM UK) IAM UK

•Foundation Programs and validated Diploma (Higher than normal equivalency level)

• Findings reveal equivalency was lower in same cases higher

•Development of initial framework by LAN

•Development of a full National Qualifications Framework by Quality Assurance Divisions(QAD) 2003 , Ministry Of Higher Education•Benchmarked against other main qualifications frameworks – United Kingdom, NewZealand ,Australia and Europe

The Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF)• Instrument that defines qualifications based on a set of nationally agreed criteria and beenbenchmarked against international practices

• Classifies qualifications, learning outcomes and credits based on academic level load into 8 academiclevel

• Aims to promote understanding and gain public confidence

• Unifies all qualifications into a single interconnected system

• Secures standards of qualifications, reinforces policies on quality assurance

• Ensures accuracy and consistency of nomenclature of qualifications

• Support flexible education and life long learning via the Recognition of Prior learning (RPL)

•Links qualifications systematically and allows for academic progression via educational pathways(horizontally and vertically)

• Establishes a common currency for credit accumulation

• Encourages Partnership between sectors and levels of qualifications

• Confers Parity of Esteem amongst different types of qualifications

• Facilitate the recognition of qualifications, articulation of equivalency of qualifications and mutualrecognition of qualifications from others countries

• Sound foundation for international negotiations (GATS, FTA)

Impact on Learners and the CommunityRecognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• MQF provides access to higher education for persons who were denied accessto tertiary qualifications and opportunity to gain better employment

• Access provided for pathway via Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning(APEL)

• RPL conducted via combination of assessment tools via interviews, attestation,examination and challenge test

• Currently entry via RPL is limited to the Open Universities in Malaysia (Only10-20% of overall admission via RPL)

• Restricted access seen as limitation by Conventional Universities

• RPL provides opportunities for advanced standing and credit transfer

Opportunities for Regional Frameworks

• Idea of Quality Assurance (QA) is relatively new in South East Asia withexception of Philippines and Indonesia

• Mid-nineties saw ideas of Qualification Framework taking shape in theform of learning outcomes, credit transfer, students mobility and mutualrecognition

• MQA is convinced of a regional caucus of QA agencies will be beneficial to allmembers of ASEAN

• Benefits can be in terms of capacity building , standard setting, accreditation and harmonisation of qualifications

• Efforts via the ASEAN Round Table Meeting in July 2008 ( SEAMED -RIHED)

• Objectives – to promote networking amongst members of ASEAN and learn about each other system of assuring quality

• Effort seen as a positive initiative towards a Regional Framework

General Policy our Basic, Vocational and Technical and Academic and Professional Education

• Countries in relative state of progress and further development of activities

• Issues such as access, equity and capacity dictate national policy and strategies - within this lie theopportunities and challenges of accountability and autonomy

• Issue of access within and outside Malaysia is embedded in national agenda to make Malaysia aregional hub or center of excellence

• Balance in policy and strategies our national competitiveness and quality assurance should reflect -the aspiration of providing access, equity and capacity

• Higher education has crossed borders ( twinning, franchise and branch campus programmes)

• Lack of a coherent international framework for QA and Accreditation and challenges for academic andprofessional recognition have raised an awareness of international initiatives to enhance partnership

• This initiatives is necessary to prevent students from risk of misinformation, low quality delivery andlimited validity, transparency and coherence of recognition procedures

International Initiatives

• Effort taken in many parts of the world is best illustrated by early developments in Europe viathe international declarations (Sourborne, Bologna, Lisbon and Council of Europe Convention)

• The idea of developing an international document of equivalence and recognition ofqualification and document on comparable standards for Quality Assurance was establishedthrough the European Convention and via the Berlin Communique in 2003 and accepted in 2005

•Under Bologna Process EHEA countries have committed to develop a Qualification FrameworkSystem based undergraduate and graduate qualification and a European System of Credits (ECTS)

• In the case of ASEAN summit in 2008, EU has shown its interest to cooperate with ASEAN Universities and this was followed by a Rectors Conference in Kuala Lumpur that advocated credit in non higher education context

• UNESCO and OECD have provided for:• non-binding Guidelines on Cross Border Education (CBE) and also• an International Data Base with a clear set of definitions and a typology of regulatorysystems containing licensed recognized and accredited institutions

• One important initiative is the EQF in Europe that is seen as a mental innovation, register, reference instrument and communication tool.

•EQF aims to ensure qualifications are important to all users and barriers to migration minimized whilst access flexibility and portability maximized•Effort may not be comprehensive but can serve as a means to solve an identified problem in the education system

Warning For Initiatives To Succeed

• EQF Conference in early 2009 provides some warnings that need due attention

• The QF should provide common language of communication and also be formulatedrealistically and scaled down

• The QF must be comparable with the changing world by recognizing environment and qualitiesrequired

• Need for standardisation of issues at hand (student mobility) from one country to another

•and but can be seen as a mean to solve an identified problem in education system QF may not be useful in all places and situations

• A message to ponder ‘We are one but not the same’ and only by understanding and helping each other via collaboration will we find sustainable solutions

The Way Forward

• European initiatives – timely advice that any serious initiative must be based on 3 premises:-

•First – understand and only then solve current problems•Second – Improve quality on of life of all citizens•Third – to prevent people, societies and eco systems from danger and perils

• EQF expected to contribute to these areas but must recognize most large scale – initiatives to reformeducation system end up achieving much less

•QF’s should re-examine the system of schooling, educational goals, admission and graduation criteria,recognition of prior learning and recognition of professional programmes

• QA agencies in ASEAN must have clear picture of what needs to be done to ensure implementation ofNQFs to fit into a regional/meta framework

Establishment of Meta framework

Opportunities and challenges

• System of school• Nomenclature and levels of qualifications• Admission and graduations criteria

• Common currency of credits• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)• Recognition of Professional Program

Conclusion

1. Quality Assurance is relatively new and has evolved gradually in different parts of the world

2. Establishment of a Qualification Framework is beneficial given the positive impact on learners and the community

3. Important to protect all users of QFs from risk of misinformation, limited validity and non-recognition of qualifications

4. MQF has been established and is not a solution to all issues in higher education in Malaysia and there are areas that need improvement

5. MQF provides opportunity for countries in South East Asia to connect and integrate and find a common currency for student mobility and mutual recognition

6. AQAN has been established via the Round Table Meeting in 2008 towards forming a regional framework

7. The international initiative in Europe and the EQF can serve as a guide and also a useful warning to QA agencies who are embarking on developing their Qualification Framework