The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or NQAI (''Údarás Náisiúnta Cáilíochtaí na hÉireann'' in
Irish) was set up in 2001 under the Qualifications (Education & Training) Act, 1999 to develop and promote the implementation of a National Framework of Qualifications across education and training in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. NQAI was dissolved and its functions were passed to
Quality and Qualifications Ireland
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI; ) is the national agency responsible for qualifications in Ireland. It was established by the Oireachtas in 2012 following the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Furt ...
(QQI) on 6 November 2012.
The Authority's role
The Authority’s principal tasks were as follows:
*To establish and enable the implementation of the
National Framework of Qualifications
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is a system used to describe levels of educational qualifications in Ireland. Responsibility for maintaining and developing the framework lies with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
Launched ...
(NFQ)
*To enable improved arrangements for access, transfer and progression for learners
*To facilitate the recognition of international awards
The National Framework
As one of its main functions, the NQAI established the
National Framework of Qualifications
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is a system used to describe levels of educational qualifications in Ireland. Responsibility for maintaining and developing the framework lies with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
Launched ...
(NFQ). The NFQ is a ten-stage system incorporating educational and training awards from certificate to
doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
level. Awards no longer made are included in the framework for reference purposes.
See also
*
Education in the Republic of Ireland
Education in the Republic of Ireland is a primary, secondary and higher (often known as "third-level" or tertiary) education. In recent years, further education has grown immensely, with 51% of working age adults having completed higher edu ...
*
Institutes of Technology in Ireland
An Institute of Technology (IT) is a type of higher education college found in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2018, there were a total of fourteen colleges that use the title of Institute of Technology, which were created from the late 1960s an ...
*
List of universities in the Republic of Ireland
Third-level education in Ireland includes all education after second-level, encompassing higher education in universities and colleges and further education on Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and other courses.
The degree-awarding institutio ...
*
State Examinations Commission
The State Examinations Commission () is the organisation that replaced the Examinations Branch of the Department of Education (Ireland), Department of Education in Republic of Ireland, Ireland.
History
The State Examinations Commission is a Sta ...
References
External links
National Qualifications Authority of IrelandQuality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), official site of NQAI's successor agency
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Qualifications Authority Of Ireland
Education in the Republic of Ireland
2001 establishments in Ireland