All your education questions answered by Brian Mooney 

My son will be doing his Leaving Certificate in June 2007. We have been looking at the CAO handbook for third-level options next year. Can you clarify what the references to "Levels" in the Handbook relate to?

Since 2004, references to "Levels" have featured in the CAO handbook. These refer to the 10 levels of the National Framework of Qualifications, the NFQ. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, in implementing the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act in 1999, introduced the NFQ. Its 10 levels incorporate awards made for all kinds of learning, from basic literacy to doctorate level. School, further education and training (ie Fetac awards) and higher education and training (DIT, university and Hetac, which make awards outside the university sector) are all included. For instance, the Junior Cert is at Level 3, apprenticeship qualifications are at Level 6, the honours bachelor degree is at Level 8 and the doctoral degree is at Level 10.

The level a qualification is on the NFQ indicates the standard of knowledge, skill, and competence a learner is expected to have on completion of a programme. As the CAO handbook only deals with higher education qualifications up to honours bachelor degree Level, it refers to Levels 6, 7, and 8 only. The higher education qualifications in the NFQ from Levels 6 to 10 are as follows: Level 6 - higher certificate; Level 7 - ordinary bachelor degree; Level 8 - honours bachelor degree, higher diploma; Level 9 - Master's degree, postgraduate diploma; Level 10 - doctoral degree, higher doctorate.

All qualifications with NFQ levels are quality assured, which means that the programmes, the programme providers, and the higher education bodies that make the final award are all subject to internal and external review.

One of the main reasons for introducing the NFQ was to provide a way of comparing qualifications. Prior to the structure provided by the NFQ, it was difficult to establish if one qualification was at a higher standard than another. It was also difficult to transfer between and within further and higher education and training, with learners often finding themselves having to repeat their learning before being able to progress. The NFQ has essentially ordered the qualifications system so that learners can see progression routes from one level of learning to the next and can make education and training decisions accordingly.

As the NFQ also acts as a tool for employers to recognise and understand the level and standard of prospective employees' qualifications, it is expected that graduates will increasingly find employers referring to NFQ Levels when recruiting.

The European and international dimension of the NFQ is also important. In recent years, an increased emphasis has been put on the importance of learner qualifications being portable and recognisable abroad. NFQ qualifications are significant in this sense. It is expected that all European countries will eventually have national frameworks of qualifications. The early introduction of the Irish NFQ has placed us at the centre of these developments.

The Qualifications Authority has worked with guidance counsellor's for several years now on communicating the nature and structure of the NFQ to second-level students. As the framework is nearing completion, the authority has extended its communication initiatives to the general public. Its publication Qualifications Matter: a Brief Guide to the National Framework of Qualifications provides an introduction to the NFQ. It is available from a range of public information outlets or directly from the Qualifications Authority. Tel: 01-8871500. E-mail: info@nqai.ie.

The NFQ website - www.nfq.ie - contains more detailed information about the NFQ, and its implications for those continuing their education post second level.

• Brian Mooney is the former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie