THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA THE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK OF ARMENIA AND OBJECTIVES OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION SYSTEM Chief specialist of the VET Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia KAREN MANUKYAN 2016

Armenian NQF, status, objectives Legal status of the Armenian National Qualifications Framework: Armenian National Qualifications Framework, qualifications levels of education and their generic descriptors were approved by the RA Government Decision (N332-N) in Stage of development: Decision on the National Qualifications Framework, qualifications levels and their descriptors revision ( ) NQF role: the National Qualifications Framework of Armenia is represented in all official documents as an 8-level frame compatible with the European Qualifications Framework and providing the links between the broader framework of LLL qualifications.

Qualifications levels of Armenian NQF approved in 2011 NQF levelsQualificationsEQF levels 1 Primary school education 1 2 Basic school education 2 3 Primary vocational education 3 4 General (complete) school education 4 5 General vocational education 5 6 Bachelor`s Degree 6 7 Master`s Degree 7 8 Research Degree 8

Level descriptors of Armenian NQF (2011) NQF levelsKnowledgeSkillsCompetencies 1 Knowledge contentsSkills contentsGeneral competencies

REVISED QUALIFICATIONS LEVELS COMPATIBLE WITH EQF LEVELS (DRAFT) NQF levelsQualificationsEQF levels 1Basic education certificate1 2Craftsman qualification (without basic education certificate) 2 3General (complete) education certificate3 4Craftsman qualification (with basic education certificate) 4 5Specialist qualification5 6Bachelor qualification6 7Master qualification7 8PhDPhD8

REVISED LEVEL DESCRIPTORS OF ARMENIAN NQF COMPATIBLE WITH EQF LEVEL DESCRIPTORS (DRAFT) NQF levels KnowledgeSkillsCompetenciesLearning scope, represented in ECVET credits Knowledge and understandi ng Knowledg e use and understa nding Communic ation skills, IT skills, quantitativ e thinking ability General cognitive skills (including discourse ability) Autonomy and responsibility (including learning skills)

Institutions, actors, stakeholders Lead organization: The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia, the WG on NQF implementation established by the Ministry initiative Resource for NQF implementation: state budget, EU funding under different projects Platform for stakeholders involvement: National Council for VET Development (2008)., Concept of social partnership in primary and secondary VET system (2009)., Memorandums on social partnership (2009). Social partners` role: active involvement of social partners and educational institutions (at national and local levels) in reforms implementation in the field of Vocational Education and Training

ARMENIAN NQF STRUCTURE, LEARNING OUTCOMES AS A BASIS FOR QUALIFICATION ASSIGNMENT Levels:slide 4 Descriptors: slide 5 Links between HE and secondary VET: (Law of Armenia “On Education”, Law of Armenia “On Primary and Secondary VET”, Law of Armenia “On Higher Education and Postgraduate Studies”, Regulation on further education of VET colleges graduates with high academic performance at Universities in relevant specialties, credit system pilot implementation for some VET specialties, Regulation on non-formal and informal learning outcomes recognition).

ARMENIAN NQF STRUCTURE, LEARNING OUTCOMES AS A BASIS FOR QUALIFICATION ASSIGNMENT Qualifications development based on learning outcomes: educational standards of occupations and corresponding modular programmes (160), the revised list of occupations and qualifications of primary and secondary VET (2016). In accordance with occupational classificators of UNESCO and Armenian NQF. Reforming Armenian primary and secondary VET system to integrate into the European Education Area

ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, FURTHER ACTIVITIES Achievements: the National Qualifications Framework and their descriptors developed. The main challenges and obstacles to the development: NQF operationalization, clarification of NQF level descriptors formulations, corresponding and correct qualifications distribution on NQF levels, credit system introduction, curriculum development based on learning outcomes, quality assurance system implementation (internal and external), capacity building of the stakeholders. Priorities: widespread use of learning outcomes, providing links between qualifications levels and available ways of transition from one level to another, quality assurance, as well as promotion of international recognition of the Armenian NQF qualifications

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