Presidency conference focuses on quality in education
The Danish Ministry of Education is hosted a conference on 28 and 29 November on the issue of quality in education, where experts and officials from EU member sought to devise new evaluation methods to ensure the effectiveness of courses and institutions. Around 110 researchers, officials and representatives of stakeholder organisations participated in the event in Kolding and heard a series of international presentations. The main focus of activities was the discussion of ideas and methods for promoting quality development and the use of evaluation as a quality assurance tool. 'The main purpose of the conference is to focus on how quality in education can be improved in future. A knowledge-based society assumes a very high level of education among the population,' said Philip Pedersen from the Danish Ministry of Education prior to the event. Discussions on the first day centred on the internal evaluation processes of educational institutions, including the management and development of such institutions. The second day's activities assessed external forms of evaluation, as well as how external and internal forms of evaluation can be integrated in a way that ensures and develops quality. 'In specific terms, it will be necessary to place greater emphasis in the future on output-based education,' explains Philip Pedersen. 'Quality assurance will be used to ensure greater transparency regarding the content of education programmes. Perhaps, in the long-term, this will help foster mutual recognition of qualifications and competencies acquired from education programmes across national systems.' The Kolding conference was the second to focus on the issue of quality in education under the Danish Presidency. An event held earlier in the year focused on quality assurance and quality development in European vocational education and training programmes.
Countries
Denmark