СИСТЕМИ ОЦІНКИ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ В КРАЇНАХ БАЛТІЇ: ПОРІВНЯЛЬНИЙ АНАЛІЗ

The basic criteria of the higher education quality assessment in the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) are shown in the article. The author characterizes the features of the organization of licensing and accreditation for higher educational establishments and also training programs in which they work. A basic accreditation of educational programs had developed in these countries, because the content of the assessment during certification (external expertise) are the quality indicators not only of these programs and training, but also of a higher educational institution as a whole. The specified organs monitor the quality of education in each country: Council-board on quality assessment for higher education, Center for Higher Education Accreditating in Estonia, Center on quality assessment for higher education in Latvia and Lithuania. The basic steps of the procedure for licensing and accreditation of higher educational establishment are pointed out, including: introspection (self-examination, self-control); external expertise conducted by the expert commission on departure to higher educational establishment; the decision of accreditation and (or) certification. The decision taken by the Council-board on Accreditation for Higher Education (while higher educational establishment accreditating) or the Commission on Accreditation (while educational programs accreditating) and it can be of three types: full, conditional and refuse of accreditation. The author reveals the principles of evaluation and interpretation of the results for higher education quality. To assess the quality of education in the Baltic countries expert methods are used. The comparative analysis of the licensing procedures and accreditation in the Baltic countries, in particular defined species, types, terms, conditions of accreditation and licensing in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and also the common features are defined in the article. Studying the European experience, including experience in assessing the quality for education of the Baltic countries where the level of higher education is quite high, there is a need to revise the current system of licensing and accreditation in Ukraine, formation of new, modern approaches to monitoring the quality of education. Based on the experience of the Baltic countries it was made an attempt to determine the priority areas for further improvement of the quality assessment system in Ukraine.