Print version Recommend this page Press release
36/ 2006
Bonn, 12.10.2006
BIBB President Manfred Kremer: "take a chance on more cooperation between the educational sectors"
Manfred Kremer, President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), has contributed to the debate surrounding the reform of the educational system by speaking out in favour of a better and closer level of integration between the various educational sectors in future. "The sad fact is that the current relationship between the educational sectors is one of competition rather than of cooperation. We need to begin to take a holistic view of the educational system", writes the BIBB President in an article in the latest edition of the German language BIBB periodical "Vocational Training in Research and Practice (BWP)".
According to Manfred Kremer, some of the weaknesses of the German educational system are "that there are no systematically developed interfaces between general education and vocational education and training, that dual and school-based VET have been developed and continue to be developed parallel to each other with virtually no coordination between the two and that sustainable links between vocational education and training and higher education study exist only in a rudimentary form."
In order to be able to offer future oriented perspectives to young people seeking modern training, it was precisely these transitions which needed to be better interlinked and more closely related in terms of content. To make the German vocational education and training system more connective internationally, but especially within Europe, some of the things required were an expansion of intercultural competences, more intensive, vocationally related teaching of foreign languages, new and innovative cooperation between learning venues and increased support for periods spent abroad.
Manfred Kremer's view is that all those with responsibility for vocational education and training policy should monitor the debate surrounding a European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the ensuing National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) "critically and constructively and demonstrate the courage to seize these as an opportunity to make German VET fit for purpose in international terms. Whether we can remain a 'world class' internationally recognised role model for qualitatively good vocational education and training or whether we become a 'VET province' stuck in the previous century" was riding on the success of these steps towards reform.
Further information in English is available on the October edition of BWP (main theme "International VET") on the BIBB website at http://www.bibb.de/en/360.htm
Point of contact at BIBB for further information on BWP:
Dr. Ursula Werner, Tel.: 0228 / 107-1722; Fax: 0228 / 107-2967; werneru@bibb.de
