Quality Assurance in Adult Education: Self-assessment and external evaluation

Quality assurance in adult education was systematically introduced into the Croatian adult education system through the Adult Education Act, which was adopted in 2021. The external evaluation is carried out by the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education every five to seven years, and includes an institutional self-evaluation report supported with evidences, an on-site visit by an independent expert panel and a decision on the institution's quality level. So far, following a pilot testing programme of the new system, 42 adult education providers have been evaluated.

The Peer Review examined the external evaluation process in Croatia, in particular the extent to which the quality assurance model in adult education had been designed in line with the EQAVET framework. It also explored whether the external evaluation process improved the visibility of provider quality and whether this information was transparent and accessible to potential learners, enabling them to assess the quality of institutions before applying. Finally, the Peer Review focused on whether the introduction of a national or regional quality assurance framework would strengthen the quality assurance system in Croatia.

The peer reviewers provided the host country with ideas on how to improve the transparency of the outcomes of the external evaluation, and highlighted key elements that could strengthen their external evaluation process, including guidelines, training, legislation and support for providers.

Read the flash report summarising the main outcomes of the discussion.

An additional report containing detailed feedback from the peer reviewers will be shared with the host country.

Details