- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Background
There are activities to support Czech education through digital technologies, but only a few of them are globally standardised. Schools do not prepare all their students for the ICT certification as part of regular ICT education. Students can obtain the ICT certificate on a voluntary basis, usually at a more favourable price or even free of charge, where the school itself is a provider/authority entitled to issue the certification.
Objectives
The primary objective of the pilot testing is to verify the effectiveness of the recognition of international ICT certification standards. The pilot also aims to identify the opportunities and conditions under which it would be possible - by means of an Amendment to the School Act and the relevant implementing Decree on Detailed Conditions on Completing Education by the Maturita Examination in Upper Secondary Schools - to replace part of the exam in the education field Informatics and information and communication technologies (framework educational programme for upper-secondary general schools, Gymnázia) and in the education field Education in information and communication technologies (framework educational programme for upper-secondary VET schools) with the result(s) of successfully completed exam(s) in this field of education certified by internationally recognised certificate(s).
Description
On 1 October 2020, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports launched a pilot aimed at recognising international ICT certificates, that prove students’ knowledge and skills not only in informatics and information and communication technologies (in upper-secondary general schools, Gymnázia) and in education in information and communication technologies (in secondary VET schools) but also in digital competences in the profile part of the Maturita examination: Maturita in 4-year programmes consists of the standardised State part common for all programmes and profile (school) part. The draft of the pilot was drawn up in consultation with the representatives of selected Czech national authorities that offer the possibility of obtaining such certificates and who can participate in the process. School representatives who had either expressed interest in recognising certificates or had the results of relevant verification tests already included in their criteria for one of the profile Maturita examinations participated and contributed to the procedure.
Every year, new schools can apply to participate. The pilot is implemented by schools in cooperation with the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic by 30 September 2023.
Following application to participate, the school administration decides which internationally valid ICT certificates acquired by the students in the field of digital technologies will be...
On 1 October 2020, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports launched a pilot aimed at recognising international ICT certificates, that prove students’ knowledge and skills not only in informatics and information and communication technologies (in upper-secondary general schools, Gymnázia) and in education in information and communication technologies (in secondary VET schools) but also in digital competences in the profile part of the Maturita examination: Maturita in 4-year programmes consists of the standardised State part common for all programmes and profile (school) part. The draft of the pilot was drawn up in consultation with the representatives of selected Czech national authorities that offer the possibility of obtaining such certificates and who can participate in the process. School representatives who had either expressed interest in recognising certificates or had the results of relevant verification tests already included in their criteria for one of the profile Maturita examinations participated and contributed to the procedure.
Every year, new schools can apply to participate. The pilot is implemented by schools in cooperation with the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic by 30 September 2023.
Following application to participate, the school administration decides which internationally valid ICT certificates acquired by the students in the field of digital technologies will be recognised, and to what extent. The school observes the consistency between the school curriculum and the syllabus (educational content) of the relevant international certificate. During the Maturita examination, the relevant certificate is recognised as a completed part of the profile Maturita examination in the vocational subject.
Unlike the situation in languages, in the field of digital competences it is possible to recognise only a part of the Maturita examination. It cannot be fully replaced, although it is possible to use several different ICT certificates at the same time.
Students of the graduation year can submit certificates that they obtained before the start of their final year of education. These certificates must be valid at the time of the Maturita examination: the validity of each certificate is governed by the provisions of the competent certification authorities. The school verifies validity of the certificate when submitted by the student.
In the pilot, the eligible ICT certification standards (exams) are Oracle Academy, Cisco Networking Academy, Microsoft Certifications, ECDL/ICDL and Autodesk Academia. The ECDL group certificates were the most common type in the first year of pilot testing.
A total of 18 schools originally applied to participate, but six decided (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to commence the pilot testing no sooner than in the school year 2020/21. In that year, the pilot included 32 upper-secondary schools.
During the 2021/2022 school year, seven schools for various reasons withdrew from the pilot, which resulted in a total of 22 schools that did participate. The schools piloted the use of certificates in 12 fields of education, including Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication, Tourism, Economics and business, etc. Even in the second school year of the pilot, no schools signed up to pilot-test certificates from the Autodesk Academia group. Most schools again piloted ECDL/ICDL, followed by Cisco Academy and Microsoft Certifications.
The students really appreciated the recognition of certificates also in the second year of the pilot. It spares them a chunk of preparation otherwise needed for the Maturita exam. The schools view the opportunity to provide certificates as an added value for students, which enhances their applicability in the labour market; it constitutes also an important factor in terms of attracting new students to the schools. The Maturita success rate in students who used the certificate when taking the exam is 22 percentage points higher than the success rate of students without such certificate. However, we cannot disregard the fact that the certificates are successfully obtained by students with better academic results and therefore they also stand higher chances of successful passing the Maturita exam.
So far, the pilot has shown that the individual certificates of all providers are very well aligned with the framework educational programmes and their content accurately overlaps with the curriculum. Thus, the schools do not have to use a large number of additional available teaching hours for preparation and the curriculum is covered within the basic timetable. From this point of view, certificates can be used in the Maturita exams, where they can fully substitute the learning content needed to pass the exam.
For the final year of the pilot, the MŠMT has allowed the substitution of a whole part of the Maturita exam. Within the pilot testing in the school year 2022/2023, some participating schools intent to use the option to recognise (substitute with certificates) the whole ICT part of the Maturita exam. The decision is left entirely to the discretion of the individual school headmasters. Currently, 16 of 22 participating schools are convinced that substituting the full exam is the right way to go.
The findings of the pilot are expected be evaluated in 2023 and taken into account in the legislative process.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
- National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
This thematic sub-category refers to updating VET curricula and programmes to incorporate skills related and needed for the digital transition, including sector- and occupation-specific ones identified in cooperation with stakeholders.
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to validation mechanisms allowing individuals to accumulate, transfer, and recognise learning outcomes acquired non-formally and informally, including on-the-job learning, or in another formal system. In case they are not automatically recognised, a learner can have these learning outcomes validated and recognised through a particular process with a view to obtaining a partial or full qualification. This thematic sub-category covers such provisions and mechanisms.
European and international dimensions of VET
This thematic category covers both European and international cooperation in initial and continuing VET, aimed at promoting EU VET systems as a European education and training area and making it a reference for learners in neighbouring countries and across the globe.
Expanding opportunities and increasing participation of VET learners, young and adult, and staff in international mobility for learning and work, including apprenticeship and virtual and blended mobility, account for most initiatives in this thematic category.
Apart from established and financially supported EU cooperation, VET opens up to cooperation and promotion of European values and national practices beyond the EU, which is becoming a trend. This thematic category also encompasses internationalisation strategies, transnational cooperation projects and initiatives – including those where joint VET programmes, examinations and qualifications are developed – and participation in international skills competitions that promote the image of VET. Using international qualifications – awarded by legally established international bodies or by a national body acting on behalf of an international body – in the national VET systems and recognising them towards national qualifications is also in focus.
This thematic sub-category applies to using in a country, qualifications awarded by a legally established international body (association, organisation, sector or company) or by a national body acting on behalf of an international body. International qualifications are used in more than one country and include learning outcomes assessed with reference to standards established by an international body (Council Recommendation on the European qualifications framework for lifelong learning, 2017). Some examples include the Microsoft or Cisco certificates in the ICT sector, the European e-competence framework for ICT professionals, and International Welders Federation qualifications (Cedefop, 2018).