Mutual recognition of degrees and diplomas in post-secondary education

Recommendation 762 (1975)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 1 October 1975 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 3648, report of the Committee on Culture and Education). Text adopted by the Assembly on 1 October 1975 (9th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Noting the report of its Committee on Culture and Education on the mutual recognition of degrees and diplomas in post-secondary education (Doc. 3648) ;

2. Believing that in culture and education the imposition of standard solutions on European states is neither a practical nor a valid approach to European unity, and considering therefore that it would be mistaken of the Council of Europe to attempt at this stage to standardise degrees and diplomas throughout member states ;

3. Aware of the fact that existing degrees, diplomas, professional qualifications and education certificates have individual, but differing values, and believing that it is important by a policy of information to ensure the survival of the best of such values ;

4. Recognising the difficulties posed by the non-recognition of many degrees and diplomas, and believing that the establishment of agreements concerning the formal equivalence of such degrees and diplomas is not always sufficient to resolve these difficulties ;

5. Noting that the problem of comparability of qualifications can be a national as well as a European problem, and that it arises from a general variety in educational standards, systems and values both within and between individual European states ;

6. Welcoming Resolution (74) 10 of the Committee of Ministers, recommending the setting up of national equivalence information centres in all member states, and supporting all other measures, including the intensified project of the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CCC) on the equivalence of diplomas, that may increase mutual understanding between member states of their different educational systems and provide a basis for continuous co-operation in the practical process of comparing and assessing qualifications in European states ;

7. Supporting the aims of the CCC special project "Mobility" in that this seeks to reduce obstacles to the free movement of those involved in post-secondary education, and in this context wishing to give particular stress to its conviction that the widespread teaching of modern languages is essential for the mobility and mutual understanding of European peoples ;

8. Stressing the importance of curriculum studies, whether emphasis be laid on academic content (as in work by the CCC) or on professional qualifications (as in current work by EEC) ;

9. Believing, however, that any isolated or piecemeal approach to the problem of recognition cannot meet with any lasting success unless it is placed in the context of intensive general discussion of the development of educational standards, systems and values in member states ;

10. Believing that a number of educational projects of a European nature can be implemented with positive results for greater understanding in the recognition field,

11. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a transmit this recommendation together with the report (Doc. 3648) to the CCC, and ask the CCC in its future work on the mutual recognition of degrees and diplomas :

b to give priority to debate on the future role and structure of post-secondary education, and in particular on the place of degrees and diplomas in education at this level ;

c to study the role and application of assessment procedures in tertiary education ;

d to continue its work towards the removal of administrative and legislative obstacles to recognition and mobility, especially where nationality is held to be such an obstacle ;

e to intensify its information programme on the various existing courses, paying particular attention to the weight attached to resulting degrees and diplomas ;

f to review the Council of Europe conventions and other agreements applying to the recognition of degrees and diplomas with a view to their more meaningful implementation ;

a ask the competent ministries of member governments :

b to co-operate fully in a co-ordinated information system ;

c to encourage improvements in systems of awards of degrees on the evidence of other European states ;

d to implement existing equivalence conventions where they are ratified, and in particular to give effect to the declaration (adopted by the CCC) on the application of the first equivalence convention.