The Ministry of Education and Research will launch a national inspection in Euroacademy to determine whether the educational institution should be closed or allowed to continue teaching. The decision will be based on inspection results as well as the recent accreditation report by the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education.
The Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (EKKA) decided not to accredit Euroacademy following the institutional accreditation procedure.
According to Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Research Indrek Reimand, the Ministry will launch a national inspection in Euroacademy as soon as possible. “Depending on the results, we may initiate the withdrawal of education licence or set a time limit of two years for Euroacademy to eliminate the shortcomings,” noted Reimand. “If the school’s licence is revoked we will focus first and foremost on safeguarding the rights of current students. In that case, Euroacademy should, in coordination with the Ministry, make arrangements to enable students to continue their studies in another educational establishment.”
Background information
- During institutional accreditation, EKKA will evaluate the management, workflows and education and research activities of the higher education institution, and determine whether its education and research environment conforms to the requirements. A positive score indicates that the school is reliable and trustworthy and the framework put in place for education and research activities is solid and sustainable.
- Institutions of higher education must undergo institutional accreditation at least once every seven years. EKKA may decide to accredit the school for a seven-year period, a three-year period or refuse to accredit.
- Due to problems detected during previous institutional accreditation, Euroacademy was accredited for a three-year period. The problems highlighted then have remained essentially unsolved.
- Given the current situation, the Ministry has two options under the Private Schools Act: grant Euroacademy a two-year period of grace to eliminate the identified shortcomings and then undergo accreditation again, or suggest to the Cabinet of Ministers that the education licence issued to Euroacademy be revoked.