Béla László: The Effect of the Bologne Process on University Education in Slovakia and on Hungarian University Education in Slovakia
This year on 19th it will be eight years of the Bologne process. During this short time European university education changed a big deal, and from 2004 as part of the European University Education and Research Field even more fundamental changes characterized the new joining countries, comprising the Slovak university education, too. This study shows in detail what results Slovakia achieved in the Bologne process.
In the short summarizing introduction the study introduces the basic goals of the process and those economic and social motives that started it and powerfully urges it to continue. In the second part the study analyses the situation of the Slovak education before the Bologne process. The application of the one-level educational system, the basic and main study systems, the credit systems served as good starting points for the realization of the Bologne process at the Slovak university institutions. Slovakia between the firts who created the act effective from April 1, 2002 on introducing the Bologne process in its every institution. All organiations have been created and operate in Slovakia that help the realization of the process. In Slovakia, 11 basic fields were defined to adapt the goals of the Bologne process, that follow the recommendations of the declaration and conference of Ministers organised every second year. These are as follows: comparable and transparent degrees; educational system based on two main cycles; introduction of the credit system; promotion of mobility; European co-operation in the field of quality assurance; European dimension; life-long education; institutions and students; strengthening of attractiveness of European University field; the third cycle and research; social dimension.
In the fourth part, the study discusses the details, positive aspects, and deficiencies of meeting these strategical goals. From these, except for others, the low number of teacher and student mobilities, their reasons, uncertainty after the bachelor level, uncertainty of entering master level, underestimation of the European dimension, the low level of national co-operation in the field of research, etc. are evident. Although, Slovakia’s big advantage is that its university education switched rapidly and without bigger shocks to the Bologne system.
In the fifth part the study analyses the situation of Hungarian university education in Slovakia from the point of view of adapting the Bologne process. Starting from self-identification of Hungarians living in Slovakia, through the process of institution building, the study states that the Hungarian university education in Slovakia did not use the opportunities lying in the Bologne process, to launch bachelor level, wide-range special training that could enable fast entry to the labour market. The new university insitution in fact opened only such fields that are already provided in Hungarian language in Slovakia. Pedagogical educaiton is multi-dimensioned. After 5 years at least 10% of more than 750 students of the first class enrolled to pedagogical programs of the school year 2005/2006 will succeed to be employed at schools with Hungarian teaching language as teachers. Launching university fields representing economic, social vital interest of Hungarians living in Slovakia is still missing.
Slovakia, on the basis of reached results in the field of the provision of the Bologne process, between the European countries, has a leading position. University education in Hungarian language, due to its bias, disarrangement is getting to the periphery, failing to utilize modernizing reserves of higher education.