"Quality Control across the Borders
of Eastern Europe"
ELTeCS Project Seminar Report
Galya Mateva
The main aim of the project was to consolidate the national associations
for quality language services by conducting international inspections
and intensifying the process of exchanging best practices in the region.
The participating countries in the project were Bulgaria, Romania,
Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and FYR of Macedonia.
Project outcomes: Five inspections were carried out - 3 in Bulgaria,
1 in Romania and 1 in Jugoslavia. Inspectors from the Bulgarian, Croatian,
Romanian and Yugoslavian Associations joined hands to inspect language
schools using the Inspection Scheme of the country in which the inspection
was taking place. Some of the inspections were shadowed by colleagues
from Macedonia who, as a result of the project, are making their first
steps towards the establishment of the Macedonian Association for Quality
Language Services.
The final stage of the ELTeCS project "Quality Control across the
Borders of Eastern Europe". was marked by an evaluation seminar,
held on March 15th - 16th in Sofia, jointly supported by ELTeCS and the
British Council - Sofia, as well as by the national associations participating
in the project.
The seminar facilitators were Dr Galya Mateva from Bulgaria and Dr Laura
Muresan from Romania. The seminar was attended by 18 participants and
also by Mr. Ed Richards, Manager of ELT and educational programmes at
the British Council in Sofia.
The seminar outcomes can be briefly summarised as follows:
- The reports of all inspectors and inspected schools confirmed the
hypothesis that inspections had become more transparent, efficient and
less threatening.
- A number of case studies emerging from the inspections were discussed
and valuable conclusions were drawn.
- The mutual benefits of the inspections were universally recognized.
- The pool of fresh ideas acted as an impetus for revising and improving
the national inspection schemes and procedures.
- Three groups of seminar participants drafted important documents
- "The Inspector`s Profile", "Guidelines for International
Inspections" and "Forms of Co-ordination for Continuous Co-operation".
Overall, it was agreed that the project was the beginning of a long process,
which can go beyond the borders of Eastern Europe. It is believed that
it can serve as a fast track for improving ELT standards across the national
frontiers but also for instilling a new co-operative culture between inspectors
and inspectees.
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