ERI SEE Continues to Strengthen Regional Cooperation in Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary Education

Quality assurance in pre-tertiary education has been a continuous area of regional cooperation facilitated by the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE). Since 2017, ERI SEE has supported structured regional dialogue among institutions responsible for quality assurance, including regular regional meetings, thematic workshops, and expert exchanges. These activities have focused on mapping quality assurance systems, clarifying institutional roles and responsibilities, exchanging practices, and discussing the relationship between internal self-evaluation and external evaluation.

Over time, this cooperation has contributed to a shared regional understanding of quality assurance processes and to the gradual strengthening of professional capacities within quality assurance institutions. Within this broader engagement, the Enhancements in the Quality of Education and Training in South Eastern Europe – EQET SEE project (2021–2025) represented a focused phase of work on quality assurance. The project contributed to further development of regional approaches and tools and was concluded in 2025.

Building on these previous activities, ERI SEE organised the regional online meeting “Future Directions and Planning of Regional QA Cooperation” on 17 December 2025. The meeting brought together representatives of institutions responsible for quality assurance in pre-tertiary education from South Eastern Europe and Moldova, together with representatives of the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the Standing International Conference of Inspectorates (SICI). The discussion focused on current developments in quality assurance and on identifying areas where regional cooperation could be further strengthened.

Participants exchanged views on future directions of quality assurance cooperation, including aspects of external evaluation where joint reflection and exchange of experience could add value, as well as the importance of strengthening internal self-evaluation practices within education systems. The discussion also addressed the types of regional support that could be most relevant in the coming period, taking into account national contexts and ongoing reforms.

The discussion and previous regional activities confirm that quality assurance in pre-tertiary education remains a dynamic area requiring continuous cooperation, professional exchange, and gradual development of approaches and practices. ERI SEE’s role continues to focus on facilitating dialogue, supporting cooperation among institutions, and providing a regional framework for addressing shared challenges related to quality assurance in education systems.