WRITTEN QUESTION E-0019/99

by Eryl McNally (PSE) to the Commission

(19 January 1999)

Subject: Degree standardisation

Is it true that a Bachelor of Science degree obtained in England is not recognised as adequate to gain entry to the postgraduate examination which must be passed by those wishing to become a teacher in Spain?

How does the European Commission feel that it can help with the harmonisation of degree standards between the various Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 1999)

The first thing to stress is that, under the terms of Article 126 of the EC Treaty, matters relating to the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems are the responsibility of the Member States. This means that the recognition of qualifications for academic purposes is not covered by Community law. Consequently, the situation of citizens who have attended training in a Member State and wish to register at an educational establishment in another Member State in order to continue their studies is governed by national law only, and not by Community law. However, in accordance with the principle of equal treatment, the establishment in the host Member State must apply the same registration conditions to students from other Member States as it does to nationals.

Several Community directives have been adopted with regard to the professional recognition of qualifications. Council Directive 89/48/EEC of 21 December 1988(1) established a general system for the recognition of diplomas awarded on completion of training of at least three years' duration. This Directive applies to the teaching profession, but does not harmonise training courses. Its purpose is to reconcile the freedom of each Member State as regards education matters with the right of all Community citizens to exercise their profession in any Member State.

For the purposes of this Directive, a "diploma" is any diploma or other certificate awarded by an authority in a Member State testifying to completion of the level of training referred to by the Directive and to possession of the qualifications required to exercise the profession in question in the holder's Member State of provenance.

In most Member States, access to the teaching profession is subject to the possession of a set of diplomas (university degree and teacher training certificate). Directive 89/48/EEC was transposed into Spanish law by Decree 1665/1991 of 25 October 1991. The recognition procedure for the teaching profession is set out in the Ministerial Order of 23 January 1995 (published in the Boletín oficial del Estado No 24 of 28 January 1995).

Under the terms of these provisions, and in accordance with the Directive, a migrant in possession of teaching qualifications from one Member State (in the case of the United Kingdom this means a bachelor degree and a postgraduate certificate in education) may benefit from recognition of these qualifications in order to exercise the profession of teacher in Spain.

Conversely, where the United Kingdom is the host country, recognition may be granted to migrants with the qualifications required to take up the profession of teacher in their country of provenance (in the case of Spain, the Licenciado and the Certificado de Aptitud Pedagógica).

A person who has not attended a complete teacher training course in a Member State and wishes to work as a teacher in another Member State has two options: (a) to complete the full teacher training course and obtain the teaching certificate in the country of provenance, and subsequently apply for professional recognition in accordance with the Directive and the national legislation transposing it; or (b) to attend teacher training in the host country in order to obtain the required teaching certificate; persons wishing to do this must first obtain the academic equivalent of the country's diploma, a matter which is not covered by Community law.

(1) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.