"It's the Quality of the Degree and International Standing of the Institution that Counts." (August 7, 2006)

    The Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, in the middle of April began to emphasise the importance of the Bologna Reforms saying that Australian universities must pay heed to them.

In June 1999, 29 European Educational Ministers signed the Bologna Declaration for the development of a European University Community and for the strengthening of Europe's competitiveness as an educational location. The reforms include among others:

• Development of a system of easily understandable and comparable diplomas (diploma supplement)

• Development of a structured system of study diplomas (undergraduate = Bachelor Diploma / graduate = Master Diploma)

• Introduction of a performance point system (credit points according to the European Credit Point Transfer System (ECTS) model)

• Promotion of mobility by eliminating mobility restraints

With the passage of seven years this has become interpreted to mean European universities would adopt a degree system of a 3 year baccalaureate followed by a 2 year graduate degree prescribed so as to ensure greater mobility of students and graduates across a "European higher education area."

In fact there has been sufficient wrangling over details so that finding a consensus appears to be a considerable time in the future.

Luke Slattery, writing in today's Australian Financial Review makes this observation:

The Bologna process is beginning to look like an idea whose time has not yet come. The idea behind the reforms -- student mobility and portability of qualifications -- retains its appeal. But there seems little taste for the homogenisation implied by adoption of a uniform three plus two degree cycle.

 

From the Australian perspective, the single most important guarantee of graduate mobility is the quality of the degree and the international standing of the institution. And quality, not our alignment with any national or continental grouping, is the burning question for Australian higher education.

Imagine that! 

But so far there is little indication that Ms Bishop subscribes to that radical concept, certainly not when it comes to making adequate resources available or working toward developing a constructive environment in order to foster it. But of course the Prime Minister would never countenance it.