FELTOM Accreditation Scheme
In 2004 the Executive Board recognised that FELTOM’s objective of self-regulation was the most important aspect in convincing the authorities to introduce the national minimum standards of academic matters in the 90’s. FELTOM recognised the need for quality and it has taken a proactive approach in encouraging its members to adopt quality management systems. The Board reviewed its Constitution and Academic and Student Welfare codes of conduct, took up the challenge of drawing up an Accreditation Scheme and presented all amendments and the scheme at the AGM in January 2005. The Board found support from the Members to finalise the amendments to the Codes of Conduct and the introduction of the Accreditation Scheme as the members realized that the introduction of management systems would raise the quality of their schools. FELTOM is of the opinion that the accreditation scheme will provide its participating members with a manifest of commitment to meet and maintain a set of quality standards and the right to use the ‘accredited’ marquee to this effect.
The recent amendments in the Academic and Student Welfare codes of conduct and the development of a new, integrated system to ensure quality standards in all areas of ELT services, will reflect modern developments in the ELT market both globally and locally and will provide an objective mechanism whereby standards can be checked and maintained for both new and existing members. With this goal in mind, the Executive Board presented the Accreditation Scheme for the final time at the last AGM in January 2005 which was unanimously approved by all present members. The members present at the EGM in May 2005, had establish the Accreditation Scheme as binding upon all members with effect as of 1st January 2008 and upon any applicant for membership with immediate effect, provided that the Scheme shall be administered on a voluntary basis for current FELTOM Members in the intervening period.
The scheme demands equal quality standards for both new and existing member organisations and will involve more detailed site visits and scrutiny for new membership as well as periodic site visits for existing member organisations. The Accreditation Council, which is made up of John Dimech, the president of FELTOM, and two independent members, namely Prof. Mark Borg and Ing. Nicholas Baldacchino, met for the first time earlier this month and Prof. Borg was nominated as the chairman. The Council will be launching an international campaign in the coming weeks to inform both agents and prospective students of the scheme. This is definitely another feather in Malta’s cap that gives comfort to prospective learners as they wade through the volumes of promotional materials and search through the bottomless web for their prospective ELT school.
A number of schools showed an interest in joining FELTOM during 2005. Applicants were informed that membership was on hold until after the 2006 AGM when the Accreditation Scheme would be finalised and the Accreditation Council will soon look into these new applications.
The Accreditation Scheme will be officially launched in the beginning of April and it is expected that the few eligible schools, that had already shown an interest in the scheme during the discussion stage, will apply to join the scheme soon thereafter. The scheme will be introduced for existing members on a voluntary basis until 31 December 2007 and during this period, FELTOM will sub¬sidise the application fee for existing members, to encourage take up. The cost of accreditation will be between €700 and €1,750 depending on the annual student enrolment. The Scheme becomes mandatory thereafter and member schools will be inspected every three years as from 1st January 2008.
The Accreditation Council members: Prof. Mark Borg (Chairman), John Dimech and Ing. Nicholas Baldacchino.
FELTOM’s Constitution clearly states that Membership is subject to organisations being licensed to operate schools in Malta and meeting accreditation requirements to organise and run English language courses. The Accreditation Scheme may not be exhaustive at this initial stage and it is expected that the Accreditation Council will have modified and updated the Scheme to reflect changes in the market and to correct deficiencies which may be brought to light during the first round of inspections. These changes, however, should be minor.
Malta was the first country to enact legislation in 1996 for its ELT industry and FELTOM was the driving force behind this. FELTOM’s Accreditation Scheme is the only one in Malta. Much of the EFL legislation was origi¬nally instituted by FELTOM and then co-opted by the education authorities, although this accreditation scheme goes much further. In view of FELTOM's objective, which is to raise standards, it has taken the accreditation scheme upon itself, rather than expecting the authorities to do so. It does, however, hope that the authorities will follow its lead.
There are no plans as yet to accredit accommodation operated by language schools as this is very extensive in Malta. However, schools must provide the Accreditation Council with copies of all promotional material concerning the provision of English language stays for public scrutiny which will cover a very wide spectrum such as brochures, price lists and other information for use and distribution by booking agencies, post-booking vouchers and information given to clients, websites, and any other material produced by and intended to advertise the product offered by the schools.
FELTOM has provided Malta with a professional platform from which it successfully projects itself as an English language learning destination that offers quality schools, that furnishes students attending member schools with an efficient redress mechanism, which gives peace of mind to each prospective student who selects to follow a course of study in English at a FELTOM member school.
Accreditation Council
17th March 2006 |
