ISO 9001 Requirements for Education Institutions

[pthareja]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

My further questions:
1. Any institution when started undergoes rigorous inspection and verification by competent authorities before permission is given to run the Institution. If that be the case, what additional help is expected to be derived out of a ISO 900X:1994 / 2000 system?
Thanks

Thank you Dr Madhvan for raising this It is the question (even Marc opined ) people shirk to deliberate upon.
In India AICTE ( all India council of Science and technology), and ABET in USA etc are trying to reinforce Quality Assurance in (technical) education; but with what success?

Similar is the endeavour made by ISO 9000 series accreditation service.
On ther other side how far is the generic Intenational Quality Management System satandard potent in assuraing Quality of education?
Infact there is lot of subjectivity in assessment process, in competency (alleniation) of auditors and the technical experts (if any, ). Another moot question for latter is that are they really convinced of their roleas quality assessors? A level of competency, professionalism and Quality training is what is solicited for both the parties, at different places, so that it closely serves the needs.

The modusoperandi needs to be honed.

p thareja
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[pthareja]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

.While auditing such a system for an Educational Institution, what is the approach of the Auditors?
Thanks

In QMS audits,the approach is not oriented to academics is because of following two reasons:

1. Mostly the auditors are not aligned with academics. 'Teaching and learning' is a complex process,and the ISO 9001:2000 standard doe not react to the mandates of education, so alignment will not come until the involement of auditor in education is total

2. The clause 6 and 7 are not deep enough to ensure all aspects of product realisation. Validation and calibration are not fully translated while applying the ISO 9001:2000 standard to education.

It implies that conscientious inputs are sesired to make the ISO 9000 series accreditation a worthy exercise for education

p thareja
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[mohanblr]

Dear Dr.Madhavan,
I recommend you to use ISO/IWA 2: Quality management systems - Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2000 in education.This contains the full text of ISO 9001:2000, clause-by-clause, followed by specific text making the standard easier to understand and implement by the education sector.
You could also look at integrating AICTE/NABC/NAC/University guidelines when designing your ISO 9000 QMS.
Regards
Mohan

 

[StMichael]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

1. Mostly the auditors are not aligned with academics. 'Teaching and learning' is a complex process,and the ISO 9001:2000 standard doe not react to the mandates of education, so alignment will not come until the involement of auditor in education is total
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So, if we can find auditors who are aligned with academics, it means that the educational institution can go for certification?

 

[somashekar]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

The parents or guardians are the customers, the students are the customer property, The course, the syllabus, education board / university guidelines are the major inputs. All the requirements of other clauses revolve around this. The output is the customer property processed, evaluated, tested, graded, advised, certified, graduated, periodically, annually till the customer property is in the institution and satisfactorly delivered back to the customer ~~~

 

[StMichael]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

The parents or guardians are the customers, the students are the customer property,

Heh, I remember correcting a Principal who identified the students as their customers. But unlike you, I defined the students as our "product", the specifications of which is different for every one, the raw materials of which vary wildly.

 

[somashekar]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

The student is not your product. It is the customer property on which you make changes happen and deliver back. Unlike a machineable customer property, this is more complex and customer expectations will be high and property handed over sometimes may not be capable of meeting the expectations. All customer properties cannot be processed across in the same way, and same results achieved. It can be graded, and customer informed periodically through the customer related process clause 7.2 the progress., and through customer property clause 7.5.4 any damage or otherwise found unsuitable for use ~~~~~

 

[StMichael]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

The student is not your product. It is the customer property on which you make changes happen and deliver back. Unlike a machineable customer property, this is more complex and customer expectations will be high and property handed over sometimes may not be capable of meeting the expectations. All customer properties cannot be processed across in the same way, and same results achieved. It can be graded, and customer informed periodically through the customer related process clause 7.2 the progress., and through customer property clause 7.5.4 any damage or otherwise found unsuitable for use ~~~~~

I like this new definition better! It is similar to renovation or refurbishing works, in which you take a customer product, add value to it, and return to your customer looking better than before!

 

[somashekar]

Re: ISO 9000 for Education Institutions

I like this new definition better! It is similar to renovation or refurbishing works, in which you take a customer product, add value to it, and return to your customer looking better than before!

~~~ and suddenly you will find all the clauses of the ISO9001 fall in place for the education institutions ~~~
Good luck Michael.

 

[harry]

The education sector is slightly different and that's why ISO came out with a guide: IWA2 - Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2000 in education. In it you will find the various terms and parties defined - most of these had been discussed in previous threads. Some examples are:

Customer - includes the student or learner, parents (especially if the child is young), client or purchaser (sponsors), end-user (the organization that benefits from learning achieved by the learner)

Interested parties - society, professional associations, government, etc.

Educational Provider - person who delivers an educational product (teachers)

Educational product - product concerned with education

Educational organization - organization that provides the educational product

And no, the child is not a customer property. Customer property pertains to private & individual customer details such as registration records, academic records, etc.