1. Education and Training Statistics Working Group Meeting 5/6 June Item 4.3 Classification of Learning Activities Sylvain Jouhette
5/6 June 2012 1

2. Classification of Learning Activities
Towards a revision of CLA
To support implementation of ISCED 2011
Formal education
Issues and proposal to implement ISCED 2011
Non-formal education
Issues and proposal
Next steps
Technical discussions, Adoption in 2014
The ETS WG delegates are invited to comment on:
Proposals to better define formal and non-formal education and training
Timetable for further work on the revision and implementation of CLA
Item CLA

3. Towards a revision of CLA
ISCED and CLA has 4 main types of learning: Formal, Non-formal, Informal, Random learning
ISCED criteria for Formal and Non-formal are not precise enough for implementation
CLA is needed to explain the implementation aspects of ISCED
Revision of the current (2006) version of the CLA to ensure consistency with
ISCED 2011
AES 2011 (proposals made for the survey & results)
Impact on both UOE and AES data collections
Item 4.3 CLA

4. Learning activities – CLA 2006
Allocation of learning activities according to the 3 main categories
Item CLA

5. ISSUES: formal educationCt
Criteria (based on 2011 AES)
ISCED 2011
Comments on the column criteria 1
Main characteristic of the programme
Institutionalized, intentional, planned
Inherent to CLA although no clearly stated in AES. To be added anyhow 2
“Hierarchy-level” criterion
Inherent to ISCED 2011 as it. should “make up the formal education system of a country”
ISCED 2011 references to be added (definition)
“consists mostly of initial education”...“
ISCED 2011 references to be added (examples) 3
Admission requirements
None
To be discussed 4
Registration requirements
None, apart from a reference to providers 'public organizations and recognized private bodies' 5
Duration requirements 6
Recognition requirements:
“recognized as such by the relevant national educational authorities or equivalent, e.g. any other institution in co-operation with the national or sub-national educational authorities”
2011 AES and ISCED text to be consolidated in a coherent manner
“Qualifications from formal education are by definition recognized”
ISCED 2011 references to qualifications to be added, clarifications on the use of EQF to be inserted.

6. PROPOSAL for CLA – Formal education
Clarifications to be added on:
Admission and registration requirements
Duration of formal educational programmes (6 months is proposed)
Modular programmes aiming at acuiring a formal qualification
European credit transfer systems (ECTS, at least 30)
Other programmes to be considered non-formal at EU level
To be further clarified through examples:
Relationship with European & National Qualification Frameworks
Diversity of providers of formal education
Item CLA

7. PROPOSAL for CLA – Non formal education and training
Clarifications to be added on:
Defining non-formal education and training. ISCED 2011 restricts it’s scope to non-formal education (NFE).
In CLA and AES data collection, NFE scope includes private lessons, courses, seminars and guided on the job training
Guided on the job training is an important aspect of NFE
Criteria for guided on the job training
It is work-based (localised at the workplace)
Planned periods of training
Presence of a tutor or instructor
Organised (or initiated) by the employer
It is an individual based and practical activity
Item CLA

8. NEXT STEPS for the revision of CLA
Item CLA

9. Revision of the Classification of learning activities
Discussion points
The ISCED workshop delegates are invited to comment on:
Implementation of the concepts of forms of learning in current data collections
Proposals of criteria to better define
Formal education (duration, relationship with EQF/NQF)
Non-formal education and training
Timetable for further work on the revision and implementation of CLA (DSS of September 2013)
Item CLA 9

10. Annex 1: Non- formal education and trainingCt
AES criteria (see annex A)
ISCED 2011
Comments 1
Main characteristic of the programme: institutionalized, intentional and planned
ISCED adds “by an education provider”.
The ISCED 2011 terminology "education provider" might be too restrictive for CLA which aims at covering all training activities
does not necessarily apply a continuous pathway-structure
This precision could be added within criterion 1 2
One central or main part of the programme (Single Learning Activity as defined by 2006 CLA) must be institutionalised and taught
The fact that a central or main part of the programme is taught (e.g. existence of a ‘coach’) is an important criterion to differentiate non-formal education and training from informal learning 3
Consist mainly of private lessons, courses, workshops, seminars, guided on-the-job training
ISCED states “typically provided in the form of short courses, workshops or seminars”
There is no reference to guided on-the-job training in ISCED. Clarifications needs to be provided in CLA for ‘long courses’ as well as courses aiming at completing a a formal education programme (e.g. private courses)
addition, alternative and/or a complement to formal education
This precision could be added as an example 4
Non-formal education mostly leads to qualifications that are not recognized as formal or equivalent to formal qualifications by the relevant national or sub-national educational authorities or to no qualifications at all.
This precision could be added within a new criterion 4 on qualifications
Nevertheless, formal recognized qualifications may be obtained through exclusive participation in specific non-formal educational programmes