Recognition of Prior Learning within the education system - 3 Further development of competence assessment within education

3 Further development of competence assessment within education

To a certain extent, competence assessment and recognition of prior learning within the education system already exists.

Within adult vocational education and training, access has now been provided within adult vocational training programmes (AMU) and basic adult education (GVU) for individual competence assessment, of which the objective is to recognise the individual's prior learning. Within initial vocational education and training programmes, competence assessment is used as a tool to prepare the students' individual study plans.

Experience with competence assessment in AMU and GVU shows, among other things, that students get a much more targeted education and training, and companies find that it qualifies their demand and strengthens education and training initiatives when a study plan is based on a specific assessment of the individual student's competences. The concrete outcome of a competence assessment in relation to AMU is that on the basis of an identification of a student's competence vis-à-vis the job requirements, a study plan can be put together that describes the educational path that the particular student should take in order to achieve the relevant competence requirements.

Recognition of prior learning also plays an important role within the adult education system at advanced levels, in which assessment of relevant work experience forms part of the admission requirements for e.g. an adult further education programme (VVU) or a Master's degree.

Within the arts education programmes, emphasis is placed on the applicants' talent and relevant qualifications by conducting, for instance, entrance examinations. Likewise, recognition of prior learning is utilised within the admission procedure for the maritime educational institutions, and the same principle is also used for the selection of candidates for research programmes where employment with a company serves as qualification for admission to the Industrial PhD course. Moreover, with its latest improvements of the admission system for tertiary education programmes, the Government has emphasised that the educational institutions may continue to admit students on the basis of an assessment of the individual applicant's prior learning.

However, the opportunities we provide for assessment and recognition of competences that have been gained at work or from taking part in a liberal adult education course or association activities etc. remain limited. As a consequence, the Government wishes to expand access to individual competence assessment within the education system.

The various areas of education and training, not least the area of adult education and vocational training, are to provide adults with the opportunity of having an individual assessment of their prior learning. In this assessment, importance is attached to all types of previous learning and competences acquired.

This development is to build on existing opportunities and is intended to be further developed within the individual areas of education. In the areas of education, within which it is currently not possible to get an assessment of prior learning, it must be considered how such a system could be implemented gradually and in the most appropriate manner.

Assessment and recognition of prior learning is to provide the individual with more flexible conditions for meeting the admission requirements of an education programme of his or her choice or to complete a shortened, individually organised education programme. This does not have any impact on the admission requirements or the admission level of any education programme; it merely changes the way in which applicants may meet the requirements, viz. by getting recognition of competences that are specifically assessed as corresponding to the specific requirements. In addition, the individual should also have the opportunity to request a formal certificate of education for a part of an education programme purely on the basis of recognition of the particular individual's prior learning.

The Government finds that the development should be based on the following principles:

The individual citizen should be able to request an assessment of his or her prior learning based on the framework and regulations applicable within the individual areas of education.
The individual also has a responsibility for contributing to the documentation of his or her prior learning.
A user fee may be charged for a competence assessment, excepting the low skilled.
A competence assessment should always be based on the objectives and admission requirements of the education programme in question.
The individual's competences should be recognised, irrespective of where and how they were acquired, but without compromising the quality/standard of the education and training programmes.
The methods used must ensure a reliable assessment, inspiring confidence in the outcome.
The result of the assessment should be documented by issuing a certificate.

Objectives and access requirements etc. for an individual competence assessment must always be set in accordance with the objectives and requirements of the particular education and training programme. Within relevant areas of education, we might consider stipulating minimum requirements as regards age and number of years of relevant work experience or similar as a condition for access to a competence assessment. Likewise, there may be a need for specific requirements in respect of courses providing access to licensed occupations.

In other words, recognition of prior learning focuses on documenting that an individual has qualifications and competences that – from the point of view of equivalence – are assessed as corresponding to a certain goal and level of the education programme in question. It does not focus on what the individual may be missing in relation to a (higher) level or degree.

These principles are in line with the Lisbon objectives as well as the Bologna and Copenhagen declarations, which also lay down principles for the task of developing common European references for transparency, comparability, transferability and quality assurance. Recognition of prior learning will also be a key theme during the Danish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2005.

groslash;n streg This page is included in the publication "Recognition of Prior Learning within the education system" as chapter 3 of 6
© The Ministry of Education 2005

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