Over the last decade, quality assurance in education has been a key element in education policy. Within this context there is a continuous effort to integrate the procedures of internal and external evaluation of the educational work of the school unit into the institutionalized structure of the educational system.
Self-evaluation and external evaluation interact with and complement each other. Hence, feedback on the evaluation of school units and on the improvement of education staff supports development across the various levels of the education system.
Pre-school and school education
A structured and holistic framework has been instituted for the assurance of quality in Primary and Secondary Education, based on internal and external evaluation procedures of the school unit, the educational staff and the education leaders.
Specifically, l. 4692/20 establishes the internal (self-evaluation) of the school unit which aims to improve the educational project, through the development of the school unit itself and the professional development of the teachers.
Law 4823/21 establishes the evaluation of educational leaders, and all teaching staff. The aim is to improve individual performance and the quality of public education pedagogy and teaching in general and support work provided by educational and support structures.
Higher education
In Higher Education, the provisions of l. 4653/2020 regulate quality assurance. The overarching responsibility with regard to external quality assurance rests with the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education.
The National Authority for Higher Education is an independent administrative authority whose mission is to ensure high quality in Higher Education. According to l. 4653/2020, the National Authority for Higher Education that was founded in 2006 and operating ever since, is the continuation of the Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education.
The National Authority for Higher Education is an administratively autonomous body supervised by the Minister of Education, exercising legality control.
The Authority's mission is to:
- contribute to the formulation and implementation of the national strategy for higher education and the distribution of grants to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and
- evaluate and certify the quality of the operation of HEIs.
The Authority guarantees the transparency of all actions; it also posts on its website development frameworks and proposals along with policy decisions. It is a member of ENQA and applies standards for the certification of the quality of HEIs and their study programs, which are aligned with the guiding principles and directives of the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015).
The national framework for the internal quality assurance of HEIs is enriched by upgrading the institution of the Quality Assurance Units (MODIP) of HEIs (l.4957/2022). With the new regulation, MODIPs acquire a clear and specific organizational status in the internal institutional framework of HEIs and expand their responsibilities for the internal quality assurance of all academic and administrative units and all study programs of HEIs of all types and levels.
Lifelong learning
The General Secretariat for Lifelong Learning is responsible for monitoring and evaluating life longlearning providers locally and regionally.
The aim is to evaluate the overall educational work and the continuous improvement of the quality of the provided services.
An important role is held by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP), which, among other responsibilities, has developed the National Qualifications Framework and implemented the certification system for adult education trainers of non-formal education.
EOPPEP is the National Reference Point (NRP) for quality assurance; it represents Greece in the European Network for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET).
The new Regulation on the Operation of VET institutes (SAEK) provides for the creation of a new quality framework for Higher Vocational Training Institutes (SAEK) with target setting, clear criteria and quality indicators.
References:
- National System of Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning (law 4763/2020).
- Quality framework for apprenticeship: joint ministerial decision 26385/20-02-2017
- Quality framework for VET curricula: ministerial decision 26412/20-2-2017
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Assessment framework for students of vocational upper secondary schools and trainees' assessment of post-secondary year – apprenticeship class: law 4610/2019.