Further education is mostly offered by private institutions and is operated in terms of market economy. Quality assurance is usually the responsibility of the programme provider. In terms of quality assurance the state only takes a supervisory role with state funded institutions or programmes.

Responsible bodies

It is usually the responsibility of the providers of further education themselves to secure the aspects of quality assurance, with the exception of state sponsored courses and programmes leading to state recognised certificates (Masters of further education).

The Law on the Promotion of Adult Education stipulates the Government to supervise state sponsored adult education. The Government supervises the management of the Foundation for Adult Education Liechtenstein and releases the necessary ordinances to implement the law. The Government also ensures qualified organisation and backing of events and courses together with adequate didactics and methods.

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

There are no legal requirements as to quality assurance of private providers of adult education. It is the institutions' own responsibility to meet this criterion.

Courses for adult education at universities are included within the framework of institutional accreditation processes. Quality assurance is the responsibility of the individual university. They are, however, obliged to annually report on their education framework. For programmes not leading to regulated degrees there are no legal requirements with regard to quality assurance or certification.

Programmes leading towards a Master's degree of further education as regulated certificates are subject to quality regulations of formal higher education institutions certificates (chapter 11.2).

cf. Switzerland's Eurydice contributions