As of the 1st of August 2020, the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (EKKA) operates within the Education and Youth Authority, a governmental body under the administration of the Ministry of Education and Research. On June 3, 2020, the parliament passed amendments to the law establishing the Education and Youth Authority on the basis of the services of Innove Foundation, Archimedes Foundation, Information Technology Foundation for Education and Estonian Youth Work Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EKKA transferred as a complete structure from the Archimedes Foundation to the Education and Youth Authority and will continue its activities as a unit performing independent tasks. EKKA has been granted a special status by the statute of the Education and Youth Authority. Namely, the approval of EKKA’s development plan and annual reports, the selection of higher education and vocational education quality assessment councils and the director of EKKA is within the competence of a curatory, which is formed by the Minister of Education and Research from representatives of EKKA\u2019s activities. According to the development plan, the main stakeholders of EKKA are the evaluated educational institutions, student associations, employers’ representative organizations, professional and trade associations and the Ministry of Education and Research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the decisions on the quality assessment of higher and vocational education are also taken by independent assessment councils within the Education and Youth Authority. All relevant stakeholders can have a say in the formation of these councils. The quality assessment councils that have been operating until now will continue their work in the same composition until the end of the selection period. All guidelines and other regulations related to quality assessment shall remain unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n