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Dear Sir,
I consider myself a "youngster" in the photographic community as someone who has learned technique using a digital camera and have no experience of a dark-room. The digital camera has, to my mind provided a great learning tool over a film camera in that it provides immediate feedback and allows the photographer to make adjustment and see the results instantenously.
Likewise rather than learn as an assistant to a professional photographer I have gained invaluable feedback from internet resources and forums such as your own. The ability to upload images and have them critiqued provides an education path previously unavailable, from the comfort of your own home. I believe that this method of learning should be considered an important route of education. However currently progress made by participants of such forums is visible only to other members of the same forums through measurements such as "Readers Choice" and "Editors Choice". These measurements mean little, in my view, to others outside of the forum community. I would like to see some method by which achievements can be recognised within the photographic community as an important indication of the education gained by participants, and recognised alongside other education bodies as I believe this an important facet to the future development of photographers.
Steve.
Steve
If, as you say, EPZ Readers Choice and EPZ Editors Choice are not recognised outside EPZ, it follows that any other award or achievement, such as AEPZ or FEPZ (Associate or Fellow of EPZ) would carry little recognition.
Perhaps the answer is to use EPZ to build your skills, and then seek recognition through another body. For example, you could seek to aim for your LRPS / ARPS / FRPS (ie: Licentiate / Associate / Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society) or membership of another body. Alternatively, you could exhibit in national or international exhibitions: once you have enough images accepted you could gain recognition through BPE or FIAP.
John
I can not imagine a better system for learning photography than what is already in place at EPZ. Once you have learned enough to try your luck in the real photographic world, you simply do it. The marketplace will let you know how it feels about your work.
Quote: I would like to see some method by which achievements can be recognised within the photographic community as an important indication of the education gained by participants, and recognised alongside other education bodies
With some exceptions, the most important indication of education and achievement is how well your work is received in the world at large. Will people hire you? Will your photos sell?
I like to keep it simple. You learn, and then you do. EPZ (and school) is where you learn photography. And have fun in the process of course.
Patrick
To do what you want is beyond the scope, and even aim of EPZ I guess. In fact many existing users might not like what would happen as a result. I think John's recomendation is not bad, or you could join the SWPP, and try some of their qualifiactions. But what is it you want and why? You could take an HND or Degree.
If you are working profesionaly it can be a mark of quality displayable to others and it can also be an indication of service level.
It opens the question of is it art and so cannot be counted or is it a technical thing that can be measured and quantified.
But the first step might be to have a portfolio on this site.
music analogy....
EPZ = jamming with mates
getting a photo qualification = piano lessons
quite different things with different aims.
And very different "fun" levels.
however, if someone wants to give me a free qualification based on my EPZ shots, go for it 
(yeah right!)
*Edit agree with Ade**
You could be correct Keith, but still the more I ponder it the more I think that photography is a visual art, so the portfolio a person has should answer the photographic skills element. The people and business side can be covered many other ways.
I have seen two sucessful LRPS portfolio's,
one was a series of photographs covering life in a dissabled school, taken by a dissabled person and featured well executed photo's that covered the life of the people, happyness, sadness and frustration equaly (it was not just its a bugger being dissabled). Also good use of lighting and selective focus. On many levels it worked. The basic being it was a window into peoples lives and you could see it.
The other featured the use of a lot of photoshop filters.
I know which one worked for me.
Hornet's Nest if ever I saw one!
We know some recipients of ECs get vitriolic emails from other members, and Pete gets abuse for awarding them. Imagine if the little pics posted on here led to qualifications!
Photography is one area where letters after your name count for pretty well nothing.
Quote: We know some recipients of ECs get vitriolic emails from other members, and Pete gets abuse for awarding them.
Seriously?
What is the world coming to?
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