The Construction of Qualification Levels and Frameworks: Issues from Three UK Projects

The United Kingdom is gradually moving to develop national frameworks of qualifications, with the aim of identifying all publicly-funded qualifications according to level, focus and, where appropriate, size or credit volume. Existing frameworks designed for use in higher education and occupational contexts reflect assumptions concerning things such as the nature of knowledge, the academic or occupational context of the learner, and the nature of access and progression within education and training. These assumptions do not hold for the full spectrum of qualifications, and need to be challenged if a fully inclusive framework is to emerge that is coherent while supporting requisite variety.