Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999
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Quality assurance. |
18.—(1) Subject to subsection (6), as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Part and at such other times as the Council after consultation with the provider concerned thinks fit, a provider of a programme of education and training— | |
(a) whose programme has been validated by the Council under section 15 , or | ||
(b) to which authority has been delegated under section 19 to make awards in respect of such programme, | ||
shall, having regard to existing procedures, if any, establish procedures for quality assurance for the purpose of further improving and maintaining the quality of education and training which is provided, organised or procured by that provider as part of the programme concerned and shall agree those procedures with the Council. | ||
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the procedures established under that subsection shall include— | ||
(a) the evaluation at regular intervals and as directed from time to time by the Council of the programme of education and training concerned, including evaluation by persons who are competent to make national and international comparisons in that respect, | ||
(b) evaluation by learners of that programme, and | ||
(c) evaluation of services related to that programme, | ||
and shall provide for the publication in such form and manner as the Council thinks fit of findings arising out of the application of those procedures. | ||
(3) The Council shall consider the findings arising out of the application of procedures established under subsection (1) and may make recommendations to the provider of the programme concerned which that provider shall implement. | ||
(4) The Council shall, from time to time and as directed from time to time by the Authority, in consultation with the provider of a programme of education and training, review the effectiveness of the procedures established under subsection (1) and the implementation by the provider concerned of the findings arising out of the application of those procedures. | ||
(5) The Council shall— | ||
(a) report to the Authority on, and | ||
(b) publish in such form and manner as the Authority thinks fit, | ||
the results of a review under subsection (4) and shall include in the report and publication the views, if any, of the provider of the programme concerned. | ||
(6) Where a programme of further education and training is organised or procured, in whole or in part, by a provider (“the first mentioned provider”) and is provided, in whole or in part, by another provider (“the second mentioned provider”), the first mentioned provider shall, in addition to the requirements specified in subsection (1), in so far as the procedures to be established under that subsection relate to that part of the programme provided by the second mentioned provider, agree those procedures with the second mentioned provider. |