Coordinating diversity : towards a European qualifications framework for lifelong learning

The central research question this thesis seeks to address is: “Can the proposed EQF live up to the expectations that have been placed upon it?” This central question leads to the first subquestion, identifying “what are the actual expectations of an EQF and the rationales for its development”? Based on the EQF proposal and a number of earlier EU documents, a look at Europe’s education and training policies and the goals that have been set out both at EU and at national level will provide relevant information to address this subquestion. Addressing the question of whether the proposed European Qualifications Framework can be successful in what it tries to achieve requires a two-dimensional approach: One regards the realisation of the EQF, i.e. its implementation requirements – both those that are explicitly set out in the EQF draft and those that are not. Thus, the analysis needs to focus on the subquestion “which challenges will arise regarding the implementation of the proposed EQF?” The other dimension concerns the design of the EQF itself: its rationales and objectives. This involves the question of whether the proposed design is likely to promote what has been set out as the goals of the EQF: “how adequate is the proposed EQF design, its levels and descriptors?” Naturally, both questions can not be viewed and answered completely separate from one another.