Róisín Shortall
Question:209 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education the responsibility, if any, of TEASTAS regarding the role of the NCEA and the NCVA. [19446/96]
Written Answers. - Role of TEASTAS.
Róisín Shortall
Question:210 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education the role, if any, envisaged for NCEA, NCVA and TEASTAS in relation to education schemes administered by her Department. [19447/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together.
The NCEA was established under the NCEA Act, 1979. This Act provides it, inter alia, with powers of validation and certification for recognised courses. The National Council for Vocational Awards was established on an ad hoc basis in 1991. It's terms of reference are outlined in the annexe to this reply.
The considerations leading to the establishment of TEASTAS, as set out in the White Paper Charting our Education Future, included the generally accepted need for a more coherent and effective system of certification for the extra-university sector of higher education as well as for the vocational training sector.
In giving effect to this recognition, which was welcomed and supported by a wide range of education, training and industry interests, TEASTAS, the Irish National Certification Authority — was established in September 1995 on an interim basis, pending the enactment of the necessary legislation. The interim Authority's terms of reference are also outlined in the annexe to this reply. These include:
Terms of Reference of the Interim Irish National Certification Authority — TEASTAS: to advise the Minister on actions to be undertaken in the interim period and, where appropriate, to undertake any such actions which it considers necessary to assist in putting in place a single, nationally and internationally accepted, certification structure covering all extra-university third level and all further and continuing education and
training programmes including advice on the plans, programmes and budgets necessary for the carrying out of the function of TEASTAS as decided by the Government and including in particular to:
—enter into discussions with NCEA and NCVA and with bodies which provide education and training programmes leading to awards of these bodies to facilitate the process of integrating NCEA and NCVA in the TEASTAS framework having regard to existing legislation;
—enter into discussions with other State bodies which provide extra-university third level and further and continuation education and training programmes to facilitate the inclusion of their certification processes within the TEASTAS framework, including CERT, FÁS, Teagasc;
—examine and advise on the processes used by bodies to be included in the TEASTAS framework for evaluation, validation and accreditation of programmes and for student assessment with a view to guaranteeing satisfactory standards and ensuring quality of courses and qualifications;
—make arrangements for the establishment of clear routes of progression for individuals from foundation award to higher degree through a standard system of graded qualifications which allows for qualifications to be acquired through full-time and part-time courses and which includes provision for credit accumulation and for recognition of experiential and work-based learning;
—make proposals for access to the TEASTAS framework by other providers of education and training and/or the credit to be attributed by TEASTAS to certification outside its framework;
—enter into discussions with the universities in relation to the credit to be attributed to TEASTAS certification;
—provide for the formal involvement of industry and social partners in the developments and assessment of programmes;
—encourage the establishment of improved linkages generally between business and industry and providers of programmes which will help to ensure that programmes are relevant to the needs of today and adaptable to changing circumstances in the work environment while at the same time providing for the general development and wider skill needs of individual participants;
—promote mutual transnational recognition of qualification acquired under its remit, particularly in other EU member states.
to undertake any other actions which are necessary to enable TEASTAS to discharge the functions decided by Government.
to advise the Minister on the legislative framework to establish TEASTAS — the Irish National Certification Authority — on a statutory basis.
Terms of Reference of the National Council for Vocational Awards
(a) Subject to the approval of the Minister for Education
(i) to structure courses in vocational/ technical education and training, as provided by the education system, on a modular basis;
(ii) to develop an appropriate framework of levels of qualifications for these courses;
(iii) to develop modular content for the core modules of such courses to be applied at a national level;
(iv) to review and approve regional specific modules as proposed by Regional Co-ordinating Groups;
(v) to establish guidelines, criteria and standards for the assessment of participants' performance by individual course providers;
(b) to monitor compliance with criteria and standards through an ongoing review of national returns on performance and the auditing of individual course providers on a targeted/sampling basis;
(c) to certify participants performance based on the outcome of assessment by course providers, subject to compliance with assessment criteria and standards;
(d) to accredit, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education, the awards of a limited number of examining bodies of long standing in the field of vocational/professional education;
(e) to act as a National Agency for the recognition of relevant vocational qualifications obtained in other member states of the European Community and as an Information Centre for authorities in other member states in relation to NCVA qualifications.
(f) to advise the Minister on actions to be undertaken in the interim period and, where appropriate, to undertake any such actions which it considers necessary to assist in putting in place a single, nationally and internationally accepted, certification structure covering all extra-university third level and all further and continuing education and training programmes including advice on the plans, programmes and budgets necessary for the carrying out of the function of TEASTAS as decided by the Government.
For this purpose the terms of reference of the interim authority provide,inter alia, that TEASTAS shall enter into discussions with NCEA and NCVA and with bodies which provide education and training programmes leading to awards of these bodies to facilitate the process of integrating NCEA and NCVA in the TEASTAS framework having regard to existing legislation and enter into discussions with other State bodies which provide extra-university third level and further and continuation education and training programmes to facilitate the inclusion of their certification processes within the TEASTAS framework, including CERT, FÁS, Teagasc;
TEASTAS, since its establishment as an interim body, has been engaged in an exhaustive range of consultations with all relevant interests, including the NCEA and the NCVA. In this context, it organised a colloquium on 25 September, 1996 to provide a broad-based forum for further consultation with a view to facilitating the board of TEASTAS to advance its proposals and recommendations to me.