About International Andragogical Symposium
On the 28th and 29th of May 2015 Agency for vocational education and training and adult education will organize International andragogical symposium „Quality assurance in adult education“.
In recent years the concept of quality assurance has become an important issue of education policies in a number of countries. It is a consequence of the ever increasing focus on efficiency and effectiveness of education to meet the goals of, above all, economic development of society. Underlying these efforts, often under the influence of human capital theory, is the notion that education is basically a production process (Slowey, 2011.: 126). Education providers are here understood as producers, and knowledge is understood as a product they produce. Education participants are consumers, clients, who invest in this manufacturing process, expecting the return of this investment. It is argued that, if the education is a production process, then to it the same systems of quality assurance should be applied as they are applied to the process of production of other goods and services (in the case of ISO 9001, which is also used as a standard of quality in education, partly even in Croatia, it is a completely identical standard, which applies to education as well as to other activities) (Kolenc-Miličević, Britvić i Miličević, 2012: 73)(Banya, 2005.: 162). Since the understanding of quality in education is very wide and is directly dependent on the concrete objectives of education policies, that is the expectations that education should meet, the aims of individual systems of quality assurance in education are very diverse - transparency, guarantee of a minimum of quality, consumers/participants protection (Broek and Buiskool, 2013.: 42), higher profitability of investments in education, greater responsibility, contribution to the implementation of qualifications frameworks, facilitating the mobility of participants (Thematic Working Group on quality in adult learning, 2013 .: 15).
As for the adult education, arguments supporting the need to introduce quality assurance can be found which are, beside already mentioned, specific for precisely this field. It is pointed out that the adult education is a sector which is often less regulated than other components of the educational systems, and it is characterized by large diversity - beside the differences in the education systems from one country to another, within the individual educational systems there is often a large number of policies that regulate this field, number of relevant legislative frameworks and structures, governance mechanisms and financing. A broad set of providers, learning contents, organizational forms typically exists in adult education. The issue of adult educators and their specific and very often inadequately implemented education and professional training, employment status and opportunities for career advancement, especially stands out as an argument for the introduction of quality assurance systems in the field of adult education (Thematic Working Group on quality in adult learning, 2013 .: 16)
There are three basic approaches to quality assurance in education, depending on to whom the providers are accountable - an approach based on state control, approach base on professional (self) regulation and market approach (Dill and Beerkens, 2010.: 8). Within the approach based on government control state provides standards, evaluates and approves educational programs, provides information about the quality of education, and the providers are directly accountable to the state for the quality of its activities. Within the approach based on a professional (self) regulation providers (that is their associations) determine norms and standards themselves and are responsible for their implementation. Within the market approach it is expected that the competition among providers will lead to appropriate quality of education. Within this approach, ensuring reliable data and information, as a precondition for an informed choice on the education market, has a particularly important role that can be taken over by the state, but it can be also taken over by other, non-state actors (NGOs, independent bodies, etc.). It is important to emphasize that although the market approach and an approach based on a professional (self) regulation are understood as an alternative to state control the actual role of the state here can vary. If the public funding of education is conditioned upon complying with (legally non-binding) standards, the role of the state will be more significant even within these, non-state approaches. However, if such conditionality does not exist (or if it is a sector that is not publicly funded) importance of the state within such quality assurance system will be less.
All key EU documents relating to adult education have directly or indirectly mentioned the promotion of quality of adult education. The last EU document dealing with adult education and learning, renewed European agenda for adult learning (The Council of the European Union, 2011) emphasizes the importance of developing a quality assurance system. Within the second priority area ("Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training") it is stated that Member States should, among other things, work on the development of quality assurance systems for adult-learning providers. In recent years several research studies have been carried out on the European level, which aimed to establish a situation regarding quality assurance in adult education in Europe as well as to provide suggestions for further steps, both at the level of individual countries and in view of the possible development of a common European framework (Thematic working group on quality in adult learning, 2013, Buiskool and Broek, 2013).
Although there is no system of quality assurance in the field of adult education at European level, such systems have been developed in the field of vocational education and training (European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET - EQAVET) and the field of higher education (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area - ENQA). However, these systems are also relevant for adult education because, beside that fact that some forms of adult education and learning have already been covered with these systems, there are proposals that the system intended for VET (EQAVET) could be expanded and modified in order to include the field of adult education and learning (Broek and Buiskool, 2013 .: XVII).
Today in Croatia a comprehensive system of quality assurance in adult education does not exist, but some providers are covered by quality assurance systems primarily intended for other segments of education (vocational schools and higher education institutions implementing adult education), and all providers of formal adult education are required to follow standards which are prescribed as their legal obligation and are a prerequisite for implementation of formal adult education programmes. The providers who implement only non-formal adult education in Croatia are in greatest part not covered by any form of quality assurance. As for the strategic documents, one of the goals of the new Strategy of education, science and technology, is the establishment of a quality assurance system in adult education (Education Strategy, Science and Technology, NN 124/2014.)
It should be noted that the increased implementation of the concept of quality assurance in education (especially in higher education) has not always been received positively. Since the quality assurance is a concept which came to education from the business sector, its introduction and implementation was at times met with greater or lesser resistance. Most critics pointed to inappropriateness of treating education as merely a production process, where the production of knowledge is seen in the same way as the production of, for example, cars (Banya, 2005 .: 162). One reaction to this criticism has been the expansion of the concept of quality in education. It is thus said that beside the economic approach to quality in education, which is mostly focused on performance and achievement of learning outcomes at reasonable cost, where the quality indicators are participation rates, rates of return on investments in education, the results of international testing (PIAAC, PISA, etc.), a different, humanistic approach to quality in education is possible. This approach is focused on the broader development of persons taking part in education, human development and social changes. Within this approach more emphasis is placed on the process of learning, rather than on its outcomes, and concepts such as the focus on students, democracy, inclusion are crucial. A wider understanding of the concept of quality in education is particularly characteristic of UNESCO and adult education initiatives resulting from the work of this international organization. Therefore the Global Report on Adult Education, created as part of preparations for the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) talks about the four dimensions of quality in adult education where beside relevance, efficiency and effectiveness, equity is emphasized as well (UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2009 .).
Banya, K. (2005). Globalisation and higher education policy changes. U J. Zajda (ur.), International handbook on globalisation, education and policy research (str. 147-164). Dordrecht: Springer.
Broek, S., Buiskool, B.-J. (2013). Developing the adult learning sector – Quality in the adult learning sector (lot 1). Zoetermeer: Panteia.
Dill, D., Beerkens, M. (2010). Introduction. U D. Dill, M. Beerkens (ur.), Public policy for academic quality (str. 1-12). Dordrecht: Springer.
Kolenc-Miličević, I., Britvić, J., Miličević, I. (2012). Upravljanje kvalitetom u obrazovanju – ISO 9001:2008 kao alat za podizanje kvalitete. Praktični menadžment, 3(2), 68-78.
Slowey , M. (2011). University Adult Continuing Education: The Extra-Mural Tradition Revisited. U K. Rubenson (ur.), Adult learning and education (str. 125-132). Oxford: Elsevier.
Strategija obrazovanja, znanosti i tehnologije. Narodne novine, br. 124/2014.
The Council of the European Union (2011). Council Resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learning.
Thematic working group on quality in adult learning (2013). Final report
UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning (2009). Global report on adult learning and education. Hamburg: UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning.
In recent years the concept of quality assurance has become an important issue of education policies in a number of countries. It is a consequence of the ever increasing focus on efficiency and effectiveness of education to meet the goals of, above all, economic development of society. Underlying these efforts, often under the influence of human capital theory, is the notion that education is basically a production process (Slowey, 2011.: 126). Education providers are here understood as producers, and knowledge is understood as a product they produce. Education participants are consumers, clients, who invest in this manufacturing process, expecting the return of this investment. It is argued that, if the education is a production process, then to it the same systems of quality assurance should be applied as they are applied to the process of production of other goods and services (in the case of ISO 9001, which is also used as a standard of quality in education, partly even in Croatia, it is a completely identical standard, which applies to education as well as to other activities) (Kolenc-Miličević, Britvić i Miličević, 2012: 73)(Banya, 2005.: 162). Since the understanding of quality in education is very wide and is directly dependent on the concrete objectives of education policies, that is the expectations that education should meet, the aims of individual systems of quality assurance in education are very diverse - transparency, guarantee of a minimum of quality, consumers/participants protection (Broek and Buiskool, 2013.: 42), higher profitability of investments in education, greater responsibility, contribution to the implementation of qualifications frameworks, facilitating the mobility of participants (Thematic Working Group on quality in adult learning, 2013 .: 15).
As for the adult education, arguments supporting the need to introduce quality assurance can be found which are, beside already mentioned, specific for precisely this field. It is pointed out that the adult education is a sector which is often less regulated than other components of the educational systems, and it is characterized by large diversity - beside the differences in the education systems from one country to another, within the individual educational systems there is often a large number of policies that regulate this field, number of relevant legislative frameworks and structures, governance mechanisms and financing. A broad set of providers, learning contents, organizational forms typically exists in adult education. The issue of adult educators and their specific and very often inadequately implemented education and professional training, employment status and opportunities for career advancement, especially stands out as an argument for the introduction of quality assurance systems in the field of adult education (Thematic Working Group on quality in adult learning, 2013 .: 16)
There are three basic approaches to quality assurance in education, depending on to whom the providers are accountable - an approach based on state control, approach base on professional (self) regulation and market approach (Dill and Beerkens, 2010.: 8). Within the approach based on government control state provides standards, evaluates and approves educational programs, provides information about the quality of education, and the providers are directly accountable to the state for the quality of its activities. Within the approach based on a professional (self) regulation providers (that is their associations) determine norms and standards themselves and are responsible for their implementation. Within the market approach it is expected that the competition among providers will lead to appropriate quality of education. Within this approach, ensuring reliable data and information, as a precondition for an informed choice on the education market, has a particularly important role that can be taken over by the state, but it can be also taken over by other, non-state actors (NGOs, independent bodies, etc.). It is important to emphasize that although the market approach and an approach based on a professional (self) regulation are understood as an alternative to state control the actual role of the state here can vary. If the public funding of education is conditioned upon complying with (legally non-binding) standards, the role of the state will be more significant even within these, non-state approaches. However, if such conditionality does not exist (or if it is a sector that is not publicly funded) importance of the state within such quality assurance system will be less.
All key EU documents relating to adult education have directly or indirectly mentioned the promotion of quality of adult education. The last EU document dealing with adult education and learning, renewed European agenda for adult learning (The Council of the European Union, 2011) emphasizes the importance of developing a quality assurance system. Within the second priority area ("Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training") it is stated that Member States should, among other things, work on the development of quality assurance systems for adult-learning providers. In recent years several research studies have been carried out on the European level, which aimed to establish a situation regarding quality assurance in adult education in Europe as well as to provide suggestions for further steps, both at the level of individual countries and in view of the possible development of a common European framework (Thematic working group on quality in adult learning, 2013, Buiskool and Broek, 2013).
Although there is no system of quality assurance in the field of adult education at European level, such systems have been developed in the field of vocational education and training (European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET - EQAVET) and the field of higher education (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area - ENQA). However, these systems are also relevant for adult education because, beside that fact that some forms of adult education and learning have already been covered with these systems, there are proposals that the system intended for VET (EQAVET) could be expanded and modified in order to include the field of adult education and learning (Broek and Buiskool, 2013 .: XVII).
Today in Croatia a comprehensive system of quality assurance in adult education does not exist, but some providers are covered by quality assurance systems primarily intended for other segments of education (vocational schools and higher education institutions implementing adult education), and all providers of formal adult education are required to follow standards which are prescribed as their legal obligation and are a prerequisite for implementation of formal adult education programmes. The providers who implement only non-formal adult education in Croatia are in greatest part not covered by any form of quality assurance. As for the strategic documents, one of the goals of the new Strategy of education, science and technology, is the establishment of a quality assurance system in adult education (Education Strategy, Science and Technology, NN 124/2014.)
It should be noted that the increased implementation of the concept of quality assurance in education (especially in higher education) has not always been received positively. Since the quality assurance is a concept which came to education from the business sector, its introduction and implementation was at times met with greater or lesser resistance. Most critics pointed to inappropriateness of treating education as merely a production process, where the production of knowledge is seen in the same way as the production of, for example, cars (Banya, 2005 .: 162). One reaction to this criticism has been the expansion of the concept of quality in education. It is thus said that beside the economic approach to quality in education, which is mostly focused on performance and achievement of learning outcomes at reasonable cost, where the quality indicators are participation rates, rates of return on investments in education, the results of international testing (PIAAC, PISA, etc.), a different, humanistic approach to quality in education is possible. This approach is focused on the broader development of persons taking part in education, human development and social changes. Within this approach more emphasis is placed on the process of learning, rather than on its outcomes, and concepts such as the focus on students, democracy, inclusion are crucial. A wider understanding of the concept of quality in education is particularly characteristic of UNESCO and adult education initiatives resulting from the work of this international organization. Therefore the Global Report on Adult Education, created as part of preparations for the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) talks about the four dimensions of quality in adult education where beside relevance, efficiency and effectiveness, equity is emphasized as well (UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2009 .).
Banya, K. (2005). Globalisation and higher education policy changes. U J. Zajda (ur.), International handbook on globalisation, education and policy research (str. 147-164). Dordrecht: Springer.
Broek, S., Buiskool, B.-J. (2013). Developing the adult learning sector – Quality in the adult learning sector (lot 1). Zoetermeer: Panteia.
Dill, D., Beerkens, M. (2010). Introduction. U D. Dill, M. Beerkens (ur.), Public policy for academic quality (str. 1-12). Dordrecht: Springer.
Kolenc-Miličević, I., Britvić, J., Miličević, I. (2012). Upravljanje kvalitetom u obrazovanju – ISO 9001:2008 kao alat za podizanje kvalitete. Praktični menadžment, 3(2), 68-78.
Slowey , M. (2011). University Adult Continuing Education: The Extra-Mural Tradition Revisited. U K. Rubenson (ur.), Adult learning and education (str. 125-132). Oxford: Elsevier.
Strategija obrazovanja, znanosti i tehnologije. Narodne novine, br. 124/2014.
The Council of the European Union (2011). Council Resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learning.
Thematic working group on quality in adult learning (2013). Final report
UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning (2009). Global report on adult learning and education. Hamburg: UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning.
