European Credit Transfer System – key tool for the quality and recognition ?
The European Credit Transfer System elicited much debate. Many students recounted their personal experiences, some positive, others problematic. Although most students could see the use and sense of the ECTS, a central guidance system for the transfer of the credits from one country’s educational system to another, and agreed with the need to have a European system, the application and reality of the system did not always work. Some groups recounted extreme views and experiences – “If it is not used across the whole of the EU then it is useless!”. Some expressed concern at the restrictions that seemed to be placed on the number of credits you could gain in a given year or semester – is it enough for ECTS to be expressed by mere number of hours taught? How could the extra effort needed to study in a foreign language and study environment be recognised? One group raised the fact that ECTS might not be known to employers and the problem of addressing this so that your CV made sense. A goo
