CE in Hungarian Higher Education Kosice, 2002

CE in Hungarian HE Content In CONFUSION and TRANSITION PAST- PRESENT - FUTURE? Strength and weaknesses National and international collaboration - NETWORKING

Confusion in terminology What do we mean by Continuing Education Lifelong Learning Adult Education Further Education Vocational training Whose tasks, whose business?

Transition in several aspects –In HE system –In institutional structure – integration –From elite to mass –From academic isolation to educational market of economy Hungarian Higher Education System: an Overview at

Transition in HE system From dual system – Colleges (BSc. level and Universities (M.Sc. level) without mobility, transferability to Four-level structure – increased mobility due to modular structure and credit system –Accredited Higher Vocational Training (AHVT) –College programs (3-4 years, undergraduate) –University programs (4-6 years, graduate) –Doctoral - Ph.D programs - and specialised postgraduate degrees (3-2 years)

Transition in institutional structure Integration – in the late 80s – about 90 HE institutions half of them enrolled fewer than 500 students, third of them enrolled fewer than 300 students – by now, only 20 universities, and 24 colleges HE institutions controlled by churches Private colleges List of HE institutions and their WEB sites

Transition – from elite to mass HE has been elitist –in 1991, 12% of age group of 18-22, in 1999/2000 – 28% Aimed level: 50 % - but not duplication in absolute number – dramatically decreasing number of this generation –State founded and self-financed courses, student loan system –Student/lecturer ratio was 5:1, now 14:1

Transition in several aspects –From academic isolation to educational market of economy –Norm-based budgeting, more efficient income generation –HE institutions should become the intellectual centres of regional development CE at HE in a changing approach

Law on Adult education Near to 2500 private firms in educational market No statistical data are available, No formal quality control - Registration will be required - State fundings will be given to certain registrated programmes

CE in Past-Present-Future Statements and recommendations of OECD Reports –in 1995 –in 1998 National Report on LLL Memorandum

OECD The Examiners regret that no major reference to adult education, broadly conceived, has been made by the authorities in either of the laws on higher or public education… There is still little agreement … among interested parties, on what does or should fall under the definition of adult education. Given this incoherence, and the importance of creating a flexible, broadly conceived adult education system to meet the countrys rapidly changing social and economic needs, it is recommended that a national startegy for adult education be developed based on at least the four basic elements:

OECD Vocational training and retraining A second chance access route for general HE Continuing professional education General interest programmes accross a wide spectrum of individual and group interest New network of Retraining Centres under the Ministry of Labour Corresponding courses, low reputation, increasing numbers Traditional activity of CE at universities Low level, private sector

OECD 1998 HE should express their Mission statement and their strategy related to Lifelong learning Support system for increasing mobility and flexibility should be established Training programs addresses the needs of –highly qualified professionals –young generation, –employed workforce increasing gaps in society

New trends in CE Flexibility, short term courses Practice oriented approach Competence courses Modularity, transferability Normative support in adult education Registration, quality assurance Regional initiatives

Hungarian Report on LLL Memorandum Spontaneous processes in the market of training services resulted in the deficiencies: Low level of coordination between different forms and levels of training and education, Lack of visibility and systematic quality-control Inadequate usage of new training, education and learning methods

Recommendations Reimbursment of tax allowance related to adult education (individual financing dominates in adult education) Preparation of pedagogues for the new types of roles (guidance, counselling) Hungary – Report on the Consultation Process Conserning Lifelong Learning at http: //europa.eu.in/comm/education/life/report_en.html

Weaknesses Conservatism in HE management Slow progress in legislation Lack of institutional frameworks Underfinancing in HE Overloaded staff, uneffective fund raising Low level of awareness

External strengthening factors EU programmes – Tempus, Socrates, Leonardo - European Social Fund EU initiatives – Lifelong Learning Memorandum, e-Europe action Information Society – ICT development – non-educational sector Networking

MeLLearn Thenuce – Socrates/Grudntvig project National Council of Distance Education MISSION – Socrates/Minerva project