Qualifications to be recognised in European Union

Maltese qualifications will have added value after coming in line with the EU's qualifications framework, Education Minister Dolores Cristina said.

Speaking at the launch of the National Qualifications Framework, she said qualifications obtained in Malta would now be recognised in the EU, as well as other countries.

The report compared the Maltese qualifications with foreign ones and was approved by a panel of foreign experts including authorities in Scotland, Ireland and South Africa.

She said this report offered a comprehensible guide to educational institutions that wanted to secure high standards in qualifications and ensured these were recognised internationally.

Ms Cristina said the report was written after lengthy consultations with the social partners and would be sent to the European Commission in the coming weeks so that it could be seen by other EU members.

It also showed that Malta was one of the first EU countries, together with Ireland, Scotland and England, to develop a quality assurance system within the Bologna Process. The Bologna Process, which Malta signed in 1999, aims to create a convergence of European higher education systems.

The qualification framework enables formal and informal education, meaning even those who work can be examined on their trade and receive an internationally recognised certificate.

Ms Cristina said the Malta Qualifications Council had an important role to play in the Maltese educational system, which benefitted both employers and employees.