'Simplicity Itself': The creation of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

Abstract

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) aims to become the 'national language' which will describe all qualifications in Scotland in terms of levels and credit points. It is the latest in a series of measures to 'unify' the Scottish education system. The paper describes key features of the SCQF, outlines the key stages in its development and discusses some of the issues raised in its current implementation phase. These include problems of fitting qualifications into the Framework, issues of compatibility with UK and international frameworks, and the tension between alternative views of what constitutes full implementation of the Framework. The creation of the Framework has been incremental, voluntaristic, partnership-based and pragmatic, but these features of the process will be under strain as implementation proceeds. The paper concludes by discussing the likely impact of the SCQF on Scottish education.

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework: what's academic practice got to do with it?

“…Symbolism apart, the claim that the SCQF is well established (e.g. SCQF 2001;Raffe 2003) is problematic as it has failed to substantively penetrate, impact upon and change academic practice. Essentially, while the SCQF levels in the documentation of higher education are well established they stand in stark contrast to the levels of impact on higher education practice.…”

Higher education policy in post-devolution UK: more convergence than divergence?

“…The leadership of Scottish HE has had a policy influence unrivalled in England (or indeed in Wales), exemplified by the 2008 Joint Task Force in which university leaders agreed a common strategy with the Scottish Government, by the Tripartite Advisory Group which continues some of the Task Force's functions, and by the joint technical working group set up in 2010-2011 to examine funding issues. Another example is the SCQF, which was led by HE and avoided challenging universities' interests as similar frameworks had done in other countries (Raffe 2003). However, the SCQF was not a product of parliamentary devolution: it was proposed in 1999 and built on developments during the 1980s and 1990s.…”

OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training: A Learning for Jobs Review of Mexico 2009

“…The resulting challenge is how to relate an outcomes-based framework to curriculum, teaching and learning (Young, 2005). Raffe (2003) argues that the effectiveness of a qualifications framework can depend on other factors shaping the surrounding institutional context. In particular, the professional development of teachers and trainers need increased attention because qualifications frameworks create new demands on them (Young, 2005).…”