ISO 21001: 2018 – New Standard on Management Systems for Educational Organizations

Author: Punyam Academy

ISO 21001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization which provides management tools for organizations that offer educational products and services. It intends to help educational providers meet student’s requirements and needs.

One of its recently published standards is ISO 21001 - Management Systems for Educational Organizations (EOMS). This standard focuses on educational institutions and their related services and products. Although it’s primary purpose is to increase the satisfaction of learners and other beneficiaries, its principles clearly demonstrate that being more socially responsible and providing educational services that are educationally accessible and appropriate are also key components of ISO 21001.

ISO 21001:2018 certification helps educational institutions increase the satisfaction of learners, teachers and other members through the effective application of EOMS. The requirements of the ISO 21001:2018 standard are general and apply to any institution that uses a curriculum to support their teaching method.

The ISO 21001 certification will enable you to provide educational services more effectively and efficiently and provide a more personalized experience to all learners, especially those with special education needs and distance learners. Moreover, by becoming ISO 21001 certified, you can demonstrate to stakeholders that you are committed to improving your education system.

Who is the ISO 21001:2018 Standard best-fit for?

The main objective of the ISO 21001:2018 standard is to evaluate if the educational needs of learners and other beneficiaries are met. It helps educational institutions provide educational products and services that are able to meet the expected requirements of the affiliate members.

ISO 21001:2018 standard is useful for all types of education providers. The ISO 21001: 2018 standard also applies to the educational departments of large organizations such as professional training departments.

The new ISO Standard is in line with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, which enables institutions to establish an educational demand system.

There is a vital offering of educational institutions in raising awareness about the ISO 21001:2018 Standardization and its benefits. The standard aims at fulfilling the promise of quality education.

Benefits of ISO 21001 Certification

  • Improve your education system
  • Enhance the reputation of your educational institution
  • Promote equal opportunities for all students regardless of their religious background, ethnic or cultural origin, gender, and ability/disability
  • Provide personalized training and effective response to all learners
  • Stimulate excellence and innovation
  • Make education more accessible (physical or online settings)

Many online ISO 21001 auditor training available these days that provides in-depth training to understand the requirements of the standard, documentation process, auditing process as well as its relationship to other standards (e.g. ISO 9001 and more) in the context of implementation of effective management system for educational organizations.