Chapter 6 The Interview Analysis and Discussion (C): Global
6.3 The discussion between evaluation results and professional certification
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reach the goal of continuously improving education quality.
After analyzing the interview questions and contents of this section, the summarization is organized here. (1) Higher education accreditation or evaluation gearing to international connections is the direction accepted by most interviewed experts. It is beneficial for enrolment in Taiwan universities and professional mobility.
(2) To gear into international connection, academic programs and accreditation agencies should identify aims first. Then, appropriate international organizations can be selected for collaboration. It requires taking into account of the cultural differences from country to country, rather than considering the effectiveness of gearing into international connections as the only index of judging the university performance. (3) Government can provide reimbursement to domestic professional agencies engaging in academic diplomatic activities that attempt to gear into international connection.
However, with the increasing number of professional agencies approved by the Ministry of Education, government needs to make the granting regulations as soon as possible based on the disciplines of justice and importance. (4) Domestic universities voluntarily attend the accreditation or evaluation systems of non-governmental professional agencies. Therefore, it is not suitable for government to provide funding to them. After HEEACT transforms its task, the accreditation budget set up by the Ministry of Education can be given to support departments for participating international accreditation systems. To those universities that lack of financial ability, government needs to set up a commissioned accreditation mechanism or to supervise universities to conduct self-evaluation regulated by the legislative body.
6.3 The discussion between evaluation results and professional certification examinations
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One of the purposes of higher education accreditation is to gear with international connection and obtain international certification. Take professional technicians in Australia as example, the qualification examinations include three stages: first is education review, applicants must have qualified degree along with working experiences for review. Then, they will attend the professional interview.
Other British colonies, such as New Zealand or Hong Kong, adopt the same model in which applying technician qualification must first get education and experience reviews and recognition. Recently, the Ministry of Examination in our country has been discussing the adoption of two-stage examination of technician qualification.
Firstly, applicants need to get education recognition. That is, applicants’ graduation degrees must be approved by accreditation or evaluation by professional agencies that are recognized by the Ministry of Education. After this, the applicants are qualified for the next stage of working experience review and examinations. Regarding to the education qualification review at the first stage, whether it is suitable to take higher education accreditation or evaluation as the recognition standard will influence university’s intention of participating in accreditation or evaluation process. It also involves the question of legality and fairness. This issue was also included in the discussion of the interviews with experts and scholars. The results show that most experts do not agree with the idea. The results, however, can provide government to make policies as references. The following first list some opinions of experts who are in favor of this idea and think it will encourage universities to participate in higher education accreditation process.
I think it is necessary to take into account of the accreditation results when applying certificate qualification. Some professional fields require certificates to present that one has such expertise. Certainly, I think it will gradually and
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naturally become a trend. If everyone thinks it is a need to receive recognition, university departments will certainly develop to the direction of participating in the accreditation and evaluation. (F)
Another executive in the university thinks evaluation result acts as the accredited qualification of professional certification examinations is a developing trend in the era.
Government should have confidence on professional accreditation agency and allow the market inspection mechanism to replace the exercise of civil right.
Accreditation results acting as qualification of professional certification examinations will be the fact sooner or later. Unqualified university graduates will not be eligible for certificate examinations because the certificate has its quality. If the education quality is insufficient and even if students study in the supplementary center for preparing the certificate examinations, how can we are sure that you are able to do it? In Europe, the education is very practical in which the practice is integrated in the curriculum. There are interactions in the lectures. It also includes internship to allow students to show their talents, and preparing for the career step-by-step. The question that whether the non-government professional accreditation or evaluation agencies have over-large power is not a question of authority. I just mentioned it that it is not what should be control by civil right. Most of the disputes come from the governmental control because government thinks itself has the civil rights.
Government should have open attitude towards it and allow market inspection.
(D)
Because the domestic certificate examination system has been implementing by the authorities in the Ministry of Examination for years, it may not be changed easily.
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Therefore, an interviewed scholar is in favor of the two-stage certificate examination system, but thinks it should be developed gradually. For example, it can start from engineering technician certificate as a try-out. Professional accreditation agencies should adopt the recognition system, instead of giving ratings. In this case, there will be free of the question of over-large authority.
The graduate degree qualification recognized by professional accreditation or evaluation agencies, approved by government, should be the first-stage criteria of degree qualification review in the two-stage certificate examination.
The second stage is the examination of expertise, such as the current model of medical practice certificate. Professional accreditation or evaluation should adopt the recognition system. In this way, the power of professional accreditation or evaluation agencies is not too strong. However, the domestic cultural level is lacking the basis of mutual trust, it won’t be fully implemented. It will be worthy of trying out in some professional fields, such as the few of engineering technician certificate, and promoting to other fields later. It is a necessary measure for gearing to international connections and international recognition in the future. (H)
The experts who are opposed to the two-stage certificate examination system think the university departments fail in passing the accreditation do not mean their students are not competent enough. One interview scholar proposed there should be alternative ways for students to attending technician examination.
The evaluation result of university department can be the reference for certificate examination. For example, one student studies in one higher education
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this student cannot follow the two-stage system and receive the recognition.
However, he/she can seek other means. The institution not accredited does not mean the student’s ability cannot be recognized. Only by doing this, it can be diversified. (G)
Many interviewed scholars think accreditation results should not influence students’ right of attending professional certificate examination. This is because accreditation is based on the performance of university department and taking professional certificate examination is individual’s right. These two points should not be confused. The opinions of interviewed experts are listed below.
I think if the employment market requires the certificates, everyone should take the examinations. If your department is not accredited, it does not mean all your students are incompetent. If you don’t allow them to take the exam, it is not reasonable. Examination should be based on the unit of student rather than the unit of department. I think it is a serious problem if it is based on the unit of department. (C)
If certificate system needs to take into account of accreditation results, the prior of this policy is that accreditation and evaluation must be absolutely justified. Accreditation is to assess the entire department instead of individual students. There may be a couple of students who are not hard-working but are qualified for taking certificate examination just because their university department passes the accreditation. I agree the direction of the policy is good because it can encourage universities to take part in accreditation. We need to prevent the situation mentioned early. After all, it is a question of fairness. (O)
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Interviewed scholars also think education recognition and certification examination are managed by two different authorities currently. They are two different matters in principle. Also certificate examinations have their civil rights. The professional certificate system in Taiwan is different from the certificate registration system used in foreign countries.
Accreditation or evaluation results should not be the criteria of certificate examination because it damages other’s rights. The accreditation organizations abroad have the ability of performing tasks, but in Taiwan, one needs to take the examination to get the certificate. Therefore, these are two different things in Taiwan and abroad. Certificate has its issuing department. Education has different purpose, which is to cultivate your ability. Whether the ability meets the requirement of certificate is another criterion. There is uniqueness of every field, but the final issuing department for license is still the Ministry of Examination.
The recognition of certificate relied on government authority which has civil rights. It cannot be recognized by professional agencies. The inspection of ship is an example. If the ship needs inspection to enter Taiwan, the inspector needs to be qualified through examination. This is a special question in Taiwan because in other countries, it can be recognized by professional organizations. (A)
In America, if the medical school does not pass the accreditation system, it is impossible for its graduates to get the license. If it is the case in Taiwan that universities do not pass the accreditation system, their graduates cannot take national examinations, then every university in Taiwan will invest in taking part in accreditation. I think the recognition of education qualification cannot be confused with the ability of practice in Taiwan. It is like driving that we have
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driving license and vehicle registration. The driving license means you can drive while vehicle registration means you have a car that can run on the street. I think there is difference between the two. When you graduate from universities and are awarded diploma, it does not mean you can be a doctor, and you need to get the practice license. Every country has its regulation. When our graduates go to America, they are required to take their national examinations. (J)
Our higher education authority holds different views against the idea of taking accreditation or evaluation results into certificate examination. Their views are because of the different natures of education accreditation and certificate examination.
Moreover, as interviewed scholars said, we need to maintain the civil rights of taking the examinations fairly. The opinions of two governmental officers are listed below.
The purpose of accreditation is to guide the universities in which we aim at the university development. However, to receive professional certificate, such as getting a computer license, I need to have sufficient computer expertise. To get the catering certificate, I need to know how to cook. Therefore, accreditation and getting certificates are based on different natures, and it is difficult to connect the two for a discussion. (N)
From the perspectives of our Ministry of Education, we may not agree such suggestion because it is the question of fairness of examinations. Especially, in the environment in Taiwan, the thought is not changed yet, and doing so will cause parents’ protest against fairness. Parents thought the examinations are fair.
When the system becomes two stages, perhaps you think you pass the accreditation and your quality is approved. You don’t need to take exams on professional subjects. On the contrary, students do not stand on the equal
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foundation. I think the influence of cultural perspective in Taiwan is very significant. We suggest it is not suitable for implementation, because we can foresee the problem it may cause. That is, it may interfere in the evaluation. The department heads, who are under the accreditation pressure, will plea to our evaluators and it will cause the unfairness of the evaluation system. (M)