NQF inventory Tunisia

The Tunisian NQF has several objectives:

• to contribute to better readability of competences;
• to bridge the gap between the economy’s skills needs and education and training provision;
• to provide common references to promote geographic, sectoral and professional mobility;
• to take into account all modes of learning in a lifelong learning perspective;
• to reduce dead ends in learning pathwaysm, in particular between VET and HE.
   

In view of its privileged status of cooperation with the EU, Tunisia cooperates with the Erasmus+ programme and in 2016, Tunisia became the first Arab and African countries associated to the EU's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (H2020), which provides new opportunities to Tunisian researchers and academics under the same conditions as their peers in EU Member States. Thanks to EU support, hundreds of Tunisian students and staff of higher education institutions benefit from Erasmus scholarships in Europe – 1143 in 2017 alone.

The General Directorate of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research establishes and manages all bilateral agreements with partner countries and foreign organisations. Currently, there are 44 bilateral agreements as reported by the official statistics of the General Directorate of International Cooperation on December 3, 2015. According to these statistics, the bilateral agreements are categorised as follows: 17 with Arab countries, 15 with European countries, 8 with Asian countries and 4 with American countries. The main elements of these agreements refer to cooperation in the area of higher education, research, innovation and technology, foreign students' exchange and other activities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. In addition to higher education, some of these agreements also relate to culture, languages, secondary and primary education.

Regionally, Tunisia has a solid cooperation in higher education and scientific research with neighbouring Maghreb countries, such as the intensive programme for students exchange with Morocco for many years. In addition, Tunisia is a partner with Algeria in Tempus/Erasmus+ programmes (joint degrees, mobility for academic, research and administrative staff, credit transfers). A new specific program for student mobility between Tunisia and Algeria is currently being developed.

Tunisia is also building new cooperation opportunities with Southern African countries.
In addition, there exist a number of international programmes in which Tunisia is involved, such as Tunisian- American programmes which offer degree and non-degree scholarships for master and doctorate students, researchers and academic staff. These programmes include “Partnership for the Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)”, “Fulbright”, “Fulbright Tech+” and “Thomas Jefferson”. Tunisia also participates in a number of bilateral programmes with Canada and Japan.

Apart from European cooperation programmes, the General Directorate of International Cooperation disseminates a number of scholarship offers granted by international and regional organizations such as the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(ISESCO), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the World Bank (Joint Japan/WB scholarships and Robert S. McNamara Fellowship Program), UNESCO, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst(DAAD), African Bank. Generally these calls concern scholarships for teachers and PhD or Master students and are limited to research.

Tunisia is a member of the Meric-Network, which cooperates with ENIC-NARIC.
The General Direction of Higher Education of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research coordinates recognition of foreign qualifications. The term used in the legal base is “equivalence”.

Equivalence is the assimilation of diplomas and titles issued by an educational system of a foreign country with diplomas and titles issued by the Tunisian education system on the basis of a set of conditions such as those relating to the registration, the number of years of study, the content of the programs and the procedures for assessing knowledge.  The system of equivalences in Tunisia is organized by regulatory texts whose purpose is, in particular, to determine the structures authorized to issue equivalence and the criteria according to which the equivalence of diplomas and titles is awarded. It should be noted that the various texts which organize higher education either from the point of view of aims and structures, or from the point of view of the system of studies and examinations, provide for the necessity of the equivalence of foreign diplomas. This requirement is the legal basis for the application for equivalence.

The national legal base of recognition of foreign qualifications is composed of the following texts:

• Décret n°96-519 du 25 mars 1996, portant refonte de la réglementation relative à l'équivalence des diplômes et des titres
• Arrêté de 15 août 1996, fixant les critères sur la base desquels l'équivalence est accordée aux diplômes et titres.
• Arrêté du ministre de l'enseignement supérieur du 28 mars 2002, modifiant et complétant l'arrêté du 15 août 1996, fixant les critères sur la base desquels l'équivalence est accordée aux diplômes et titres.

The legal Framework for recognition in the Mediterranean Unesco region is the Mediterranean International Convention on Recognition: “International Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab and European States bordering on the Mediterranean”, 1976.
The reference Tunisian institutions are: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Tunisian Agency for VET (ATFP); Portail Educatif Tunisien (www.edunet.tn).

Together with Morocco, Algeria and Lebanon, Tunisia participates in the EU-funded technical assistance project supporting the Meric-Network in strengthening institutional capacities, instruments and converging approaches.
 

The Tunisian NQF is designed as a classification of qualifications (hence the name CNQ, classification nationale des qualifications), based on previous classifications of occupations, public services labour regulation and sectoral collective agreements. The CNQ has 7 levels.
The CNQ has six categories of descriptors: four cover the levels of occupations targeted: complexity, autonomy, responsibility and adaptability; and two describe the resources needed to ensure qualifications are at that level: knowledge, know-how and behaviour.
 

Definition of qualification
There is no explicit definition in the NQF decree; the descriptors provide information on the purpose and meaning of qualifications.

Several sectors have elaborated occupational standards for all their key occupations (REM/REC). These standards are organised as sector collections and are used by employers, as well as by training providers. The actual use of the REM/REC is not without difficulties, particularly if the sector strategic leadership and the cooperation with state bodies and education institution is not effective.

The new classification of occupations, which has been validated in 2018, was elaborated with reference to the classification ROME (France). The occupational descriptions in the Tunisian ROME provide information equivalent to occupational standards.

Development process of qualifications
In VET the “APC” (competence based approach) has taken root as the main system for development of programmes and qualifications aligned with labour market requirements. Although the full implantation of APC programmes is still underway, the approach is well established, APC is constructed as a chain, going from the a) sector study to b) analysis of the work situation – to the definition of c) competence standards. The training and pedagogic components and the assessment standards are created with reference to the competence standards. The qualification is awarded once the candidate’s assessment of the intended competences is verified.
 

The public higher education in Tunisia remains accessible to anyone holding the certificate awarded on successful completion of secondary education (al-bakaluria). Holders of the bakaluria are directed in the choice of university and course by a computerised system which takes into account pupils’ merits, their wishes and the number of places available in each course.

As a result of the reform which has introduced the three cycle system (LMD), all the courses administered by Tunisian universities, with the exception of medical, architecture and engineering courses, are based on the structure of Bachelor degrees, awarded on accumulation of 180 credits, Master degrees, awarded after a further accumulation of 120 credits and Doctorates (180 credits).

Higher education is divided into three levels:

The first level of studies includes:

• Academic (Fundamental) Bachelor– last for 3 years, carrying 180 ECTS
• Applied Bachelor– last for 3 years, carrying 180 ECTS.
The second level of studies includes:
• Academic Master– lasting for 2 years and carrying 120 ECTS for students who have previously achieved 180 ECTS
• Professional Master– lasting for 2 years and carrying 120 ECTS for students who have previously achieved 180 ECTS.
The third level of studies includes Doctoral academic studies (PhD), including a minimum of 3 years of research and courses and carrying 180 ECTS (150 ECTS for the thesis + 30 ECTS for doctoral courses).

The studies of engineering, architecture, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine are organized in accordance with the specific characteristics of these disciplines and in accordance with international standards.
Engineering students attend two years of preparatory classes, culminating in a national competitive examination and are then assigned to engineering schools (écoles d’ingénieurs) on the basis of their grades and wishes. Specialised training in the engineer school takes three years, bringing the total length of the engineering training to five years.

In medical subjects the number of places is limited to about 200 first-year students in each institution and studies last for five years, followed by one year of clinical training. Courses in paramedical subjects, i.e. health science and technology and nursing, have switched to the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate system.

There are no longer university courses in Tunisia shorter than the three-year Bachelor course. The process for teaching in universities (ataahil-el-jamii) involves the preparation of a research dossier by a lecturer seeking promotion to the grade of senior lecturer. The procedure is similar to that of a doctoral thesis defence. The lecturer defends the research dossier in front of a panel; if it is accepted, the candidate is eligible to enter the national competitive examination for the recruitment of senior lecturers.

The Tunisian education and training system is hampered by a lack of pathways between vocational training, general education and higher education. A law in 2008 set out plans to link these qualifications but has not been applied since. A commission involving the three departments concerned was created in 2015, in charge of coordinating strategies and reforms between the three subsectors of education, along with pathways and progression. The national strategy for vocational training in Tunisia for 2016-20 plans to transform this commission (project 1) into a permanent national authority.
 

New qualifications are outcomes-based. Article 1 of the NQF decree specifies that ‘the qualifications corresponding to each of the seven levels of the NQF are defined by the six descriptors formulated in terms of learning outcomes.’

The NQF covers qualifications from general, vocational education and training (VET) and higher education systems.

The NQF legal act  (presidential decree) was adopted in 2009.

http://www.emploi.gov.tn/uploads/tx_elyjort/Fr-Decret2009_2139.pdf

There is no single institution in charge of NQF coordination and operational functions.

The governance of the qualifications system comprises numerous institutions, exercising mandates of different nature related with such key functions as quality assurance, development of standards and learning programmes, recognition of qualifications and management of different reforms with international assistance in key domains of the NQF.

The NQF decree stipulated the establishment of a Commission entrusted with the steering and follow-up of the NQF. This commission, to be created under the High Council for human resources development (HRD) has not been validated by the social partners and could not become operational. The High Council has equally been deactivated. The good news is that the new proposal for a National instance for HRD has been validated in 2018 by the Government Presidency - under certain reserves.
The key Ministries - Education; Higher Education and Scientific Research; VET and Employment - exercise functions of policy shaping and decision-making in their sub-sectors. An NQF technical group is currently active in the VET sector, but is concentrated only on non-tertiary education and VET qualifications.

In the VET sub-sector other important players are:
• CENAFFIC: http://www.cenaffif.nat.tn/39/
The National Centre of Teacher Training and Curriculum Development operates under the umbrella of Ministry of VET and Employment. CENAFFIF has a key role in developing competence standards and programmes for VET, and other qualifications norms.
The Tunisian Agency for VET is the main public provider of VET courses (initial and continuing) through its network of 130 VET Centres. ATFP coordinates this public VET provision and delivers the qualifications in the name of the state. ATFP also evaluates the training provision in the VET centres.

In HE, other key institutions are:
• National Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority (NEQAAA) – in charge of QA procedures and decisions, as described in section 6 of this fiche. The aim of the national authority is to contribute to the maintenance and the improvement of quality in higher education as well as the compliance of the education system with internationally recognized standards.
• Universities Council, in charge of ensuring that the strategic guidelines of the sector are applied.
• HE Institutions
 

Besides the above indicated state bodies, the social partners (UTICA and UGTT), sector organisations and companies play a role in developing standards of qualification and in the APC (competence base approach in VET).

The state budget is used for functioning of state institutions involved in NQF activities and is complemented by resources of different donors channelled to various system development and reform actions.

Art. 4 of the NQF states that all public and private education institutions (higher, general and VET) shall take the necessary measures to assure quality of the developed qualifications and their coherence with the descriptors defined in the NQF for the targeted level.
This is a fundamental principle, establishing a link between quality assurance of qualifications and the NQF (level and descriptor).
 
The legal framework of quality assurance in higher education is based on two essential notions, the quality assurance in the higher education institutions (law n° 2008-19 of February 25th, 2008) and the national frame of qualification - CNQ (decree n° 2139 of July 8th, 2009).
In VET the Permanent Commission for Coordination of VET is in charge of QA, and plans to step up collaboration with the social partners and the sector commissions, which are to be established with an upgraded role in qualifications development.
According to the mentioned law on higher education, the National Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority (hereafter, NEQAAA) is the body responsible for quality assurance and improvement in higher education. It consists of 13 members (decree n°2012-1719 of 14 September on Higher Education): eight professors of higher education in the various scientific specialties selected after a call for candidacy. These are chosen on the basis of their skills, their scientific and academic position as well as their knowledge of the field of quality in higher education. In addition, the NEQAAA includes 4 representatives of the economic and social environment, among whom a representative of the private higher education sector, and a specialist in administrative and financial management. The aim of the national authority is to contribute to the maintenance and the improvement of the quality in higher education as well as the compliance of the education system with internationally recognized standards. The NEQAAA’s main missions are:
The institution of a quality system and of a guide of procedures appropriate to the authority;
The approval of the methodology and the procedures of quality assurance;
The elaboration and the adoption of a code of ethics;
The accreditation of the experts assessors on proposal of the technical departments of the authority on the basis of calls to candidacy;
The implementation of a programme of evaluation and accreditation in compliance with the priorities fixed by the Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research and with the requests of accreditation of the institutions of higher education and research;
The implementation of a follow-up system of the procedures adopted by the universities and institutions of higher education and research in view of appraisal reports and of accreditation;

The definition of self-evaluation standards;
The formulation of external quality assurance standards and procedures;
The definition of standards for accreditation of academic programmes and higher education institutions in order; to guarantee the quality and the recognition of the national diplomas,
The formulation of an international policy of cooperation in coordination with the regulatory authority;
The NEQAAA submits an annual report on the activities of evaluation to the Head of government.

The Universities Council (Majlis al-Jamiat), which comprises the Presidents of the countries’ universities contributes substantially to provide the background and analysis supporting accreditation decisions of the Ministry. The Council is in charge of ensuring that the broad strategic guidelines of the sector are applied, and validating the decisions of the sectoral committees and the national committee on the reform of the course structure. This enables the higher education institutions to award Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degrees and to habilitate teaching staff.
NEQAAA cooperates bilaterally with QA agencies of other countries, notably EU Member States.

The ongoing reforms foresee the implantation of accreditation mechanisms addressing programmes and qualifications.
The NEQAAA is in charge of the external evaluation and focuses on the external quality assurance procedures on teaching, internal quality assurance and management systems, research, support services to students, library and IT resources, space and equipment, non-teaching staff, management and transparency, lifelong learning provisions and employability of graduates. In order to fulfill these tasks, experts in the fields of curricula, education, and higher education assessment are trained. More than 120 experts (2011-2015) benefited from training in quality review through the organization of training courses, planned visits to quality assurance agencies within the framework of the EU educational programmes and through the organization of workshops dedicated to the exchange of experiences and best practices in the fields of quality assessment with Arab, American and British partners. The panel of experts gathers representatives of all the scientific disciplines and other stakeholders.
The accreditation at the institutional level includes a review of the programmes proposed, the educational and scientific methods which are applied and their compliance with the quality of the delivered diplomas, as well as the skills and the capacities expected from the graduates. The accreditation is granted for a maximal period of four years, either for the institution, for the programmes or for the courses. In case there is a negligence of the quality standards during the aforementioned period, the NEQAAA is legally able to withdraw the granted accreditation. Once obtained, the accreditation allows the concerned institution to benefit from additional credits, permitting to face the requirements which imply its commitment to respect the quality standards.

The internal quality assurance of academic programmes, teaching and learning, research, student’s services, general managements and work conditions is carried out by the higher education institutes under the supervision of the committee responsible for quality as defined by the Law n° 2008-19 of 25th February 2008 on Higher Education. In each higher education institution this committee is in charge of the elaboration of internal assessment reports, the monitoring of the established programmes, in particular those related to quality, and the formulation of proposals regarding quality enhancement.

Self-evaluation takes place each year. Students’ assessment of the academic programmes quality is a part of the quality assurance procedure.
Universities and higher education institutes submit annual reports of internal evaluation to the Ministry for Higher Education and to the NEQAAA.

The VET system has a structured “Nomenclature of sectors and specialities of training”. This is a database of existing programmes, structured in 20 sectors, 59 sub-sectors and more than 533 specialities, of which 326 are operational.

This database is managed by the General Direction of Services to Training Users. VET Programmes are conceived and elaborated according to a defined procedure, which includes preliminary sector studies. The programmes validated by the sector enterprises / professionals can be incorporated in the database.

This database is not open for end users / wider public. The Ministry plans to launch an online platform for the end-users / citizens, providing relevant information on VET programmes and qualifications and career information and guidance.
 

Mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the NQF’s implementation have not yet been defined.

The NQF is an important driver of the learning outcomes approach for all sub-sectors of education and training.