A major structural reform of all educational and training qualifications in the State has been announced.
The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland will shortly launch a national framework of qualifications, which will set a strict value on each type of qualification, enabling them to be compared.
"This is as significant as changing the Leaving Cert," said Mr Edwin Mernagh, development officer with the authority.
The radical overhaul, which will take effect for students in 2005, is being done under 1999 legislation from the Department of Education and Science. The reform is intended to make it easier for people to enter, leave and re-enter the education system throughout their lives, and to build on qualifications progressively.
It should also ensure that all learning can be recognised, whether it is in a formal situation, in the workplace or in some other area of experience.
The new system will be based on a series of 10 "levels", ranging from the most basic achievements to doctoral awards.
It will give parity of esteem to students at each level regardless of the path they have taken to the qualification.
Currently, learners who wish to transfer from one institution to another, are admitted at the second institution's discretion, but the value placed on a qualification by the second institution can be unclear.
"A lot of students who wish to transfer from one institution to the next, find that their cases are currently decided on a case-by-case basis.
"The real problem has been that some institutions have discounted transfer applications from certain other institutions," guidance counsellors have told The Irish Times.
Nobody knows how many referrals are refused due to there being "no place available", when the reality may be that the applicant's qualifications have been undervalued by the institution to which they wish to transfer.
The new framework is intended to stop that.
The need for this new system has come about due to the growing trend towards "life-long learning" and distance learning.
For example, a person may be qualified as an electrician, then 10 years later chooses to expand the business with the help of a reasonably high-level qualification in business studies.
People like this should, in future, be able to enter academic courses more easily.
The new framework has been formed with the co-operation of HETAC (Higher Education Training Awards Council) and FETAC (Further Education Training Awards Council), the Department of Education, universities and institutes of technology.
A decline in drop-out rates should also result. Schools and colleges will now be required to set out the knowledge, skill and competency required for successful participation in a course.
This will enable students to decide whether they are able for a particular course, and, if necessary, take steps to improve their prior knowledge.
The onus will be on the institutions to change, and make plain what the course involves.
"Learners have rights to a lot of information that they currently do not get.
"In particular, they have a right to information unpolluted by advertising.
"This new system will create clear, fair and consistent arrangements for entry," Mr Mernagh said.