Valuing Prior Learning

e made explicit will have to be the knowledge, skills and wider competencies that this
national qualification level testifies to learners and other users of qualifications.
A meta-framework such as the EQF has distinct characteristics to the NQFs that relate
to it and enable relationships to be established between qualifications levels in different
countries. The major differences between EQF levels and NQF levels are dependent on
the functions of the frameworks, the method of their development, the influences on the
form of the frameworks, the qualification levels they recognise, the quality assurance processes
involved and the benchmarks used for establishing levels. Table 1 summarises these
differences.
Main function: to act as a benchmark for the level, to act as a benchmark for the level of
volume and type of learning. any learning recognised in a qualification
or defined in an NQF
Developed by: regional bodies, national agencies Member States acting together
and sectoral bodies
collective priorities across countries
Sensitive to: local, regional and national priorities (e.g. globalisation of trade)
(e.g. levels of literacy, labour market
needs)
Recognises assessment/evaluation, validation Does not directly recognise learning of
learning of and certification. individuals
individuals by:
Currency factors within national context the level of trust between international
depends on:
users
Quality is the practices of national bodies and national practices and the robustness of
guaranteed by: learning institutions the process linking national and EQF
levels
Levels are defined national benchmarks which are general progression in learning across
by reference to: embedded in different specific all contexts across all countries
learning contexts, e.g. school
education, work or higher education
If these distinctions are accepted, the form and function of national qualifications levels
(or frameworks) will be different to those of a meta-framework such as the EQF (Tuck
et.al., 2006). Such differences should create a clear space for NQFs to continue to develop
in a distinctive way that reflects national social and cultural perspectives. In the EQF proposals
the intention is to respect and encourage different national perspectives. However,
even if the differences are accepted, the existence of the meta-framework will, at least indirectly,
influence the definition of levels in national systems.
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