Poland began work on its national qualifications framework in 2008, as part of a systemic project “Stocktaking of competences and qualifications for the Polish labour market and the development of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) model” carried out by the Ministry of National Education.
- national vocational qualifications standards (2006 – 2007),
- principles underlying the national qualifications framework for higher education (2006 – 2008),
- new core curricula for general education (2008)
But preparing and implementing the Polish Qualification Framework still faces some hurdles. Many arise from the varied terminology used in Polish and in European documentation concerning the European Qualification Framework and the NQFs. For example, the term “qualifications” in Polish means knowledge and skills necessary to perform a given profession, while in EQF documents “qualifications” are understood as formal confirmation that a person has achieved learning outcomes to a given standard. The Polish term “competence” is also used variously to mean “qualification”, “skill” or even “authority”.
One thing seems certain: the traditionally understood “profession” or “occupation” corresponds less and less to labour market dynamics, particularly in hi-tech sectors. Currently, the term may be defined rather as a set of all professional and generic qualifications useful in a given field/sector/branch. With such an approach, we may define a basic set of qualifications required in a given profession or occupation, while specialisation can define the set of professional qualifications required to perform a given type of work. Such an approach would certainly make the validation process simpler. Learning outcomes would be equally validated for generic and professional qualifications, independently of the way in which learning was acquired - guaranteeing equal status between comparable outcomes of formal, non-formal and informal learning.
In the practices used so far, however, the language of qualifications has not been used to describe learning outcomes, with the sole exception of vocational qualifications standards (253) developed under the aegis of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Yet these standards currently lack any legal basis. Standardisation is possible in the sphere of vocational qualifications, provided cooperation is established with the competent ministries and/or sectoral institutions.
Bringing a new order into the most broadly conceived sphere of education through the implementation of the Polish Qualifications Framework will not be possible unless there is agreement on the terms used, including the terminology in use for legal documents and legislation. If the Polish NQF is to respond practically to the needs and potential of the country, the terminology must be very well thought out. Introducing the term “qualifications”, as defined for qualifications frameworks, into the language of education and the labour market in Poland will be particularly important in this respect.
Developing terminology that is common to all those involved in the development and implementation of the framework, compatible with the terms adopted in European documents, in line with the Polish tradition and user- friendly, is a challenge which must be taken up by a team broader than the NQF Expert Team. It is necessary to appoint an inter-sector and “inter-project” team which will develop and adopt a glossary while taking into account surveys and consultations. Moreover, to promote the idea of the qualifications framework, there should be a decision as to which terminology will apply. Such decisions could be made by a National Coordination Point (NCP).
For more information : www.krk.org.pl
Source: ReferNet Poland