How to select the right school for your child?? Do you need to check the school certifications??

Every parent is always concerned about his/her child’s education & future career. It starts from the selection of the right school for the pre-primary & primary education which is considered as the base of future learning. There are multiple parameters which come in the mind of the parent & there are multiple confusing suggestions given by our friends and relatives. But at the end, the decision on selection of the school is the sole responsibility of the parents. There is also a fear factor in the minds of the parents that the child should not curse them in future for this wrong decision. Hence it becomes a very critical decision at times.
The first deciding factor is the selection of the Board – There are multiple options available such as ICSE, CBSE, State board, IGCSE, IB etc. Parent should consider the factors such as chances of his/her own job transfer, financial budget, future options available etc. But all this relates the board selection and not the school. In our opinion, one should select the school which has an effective school management system. Let’s refer below the information which might help in better understanding of a school management system & related certifications.

Certifications & their relevance to school management

Apart from own convenience & comfort, one should consider few other parameters while selecting the right school for a child. School management system plays a vital role as it decides the quality of the education and also other points such as hygiene, safety, security etc. Many parents have started evaluating the qualification of the school itself with regards to all such critical parameters contributing to the overall management system at the school. Such qualification can be evaluated with the number of certifications awarded to the school. Let’s discuss on International certifications.

About International Certification – ISO, Geneva, Switzerland

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is voluntary International Body which creates a benchmark standard in almost all the sectors.

What is the relevance of ISO 9001 certification at any school??

Earlier many schools had acquired basic ISO 9001 certification as a medal. But ISO 9001 standard is very generic in nature as it is applicable to all the organizations from various sectors. E.g. ISO 9001 is applicable to companies like L & T, Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys etc. and also to trading units and shops like Shoppers stop, life style etc. There was even a news that local panwalla is ISO 9001 certified. In such scenario, ISO 9001 certification can’t be considered as a selection criterion for the good school. Now it is very clear that only ISO 9001 certification does not provide confidence in school management system.

Why school should have ISO 21001 certification??

Recently in year 2018, ISO has published an International standard ISO 21001 – Educational Organization Management System for ensuring the effective school management.
This standard is recognised to be very relevant and benchmark for effective school management. Unlike ISO 9001, this standard specifically talk about each process / activity at the educational institute, may it be a school, college or even a training institute. There are specific guidelines defined for effective functioning of the educational institute. Also the certification process is very stringent and school has to consider all the points such as hygiene, safety, discipline, teaching process, infrastructure, maintenance etc. The focus of the standard to build a good management system which can benefit all the stake holders including, students, parents and society as a whole.
ISO 21001 is proven to be a big step in improving the overall educational management system throughout the world. The awareness in India still low and very few schools have gone ahead to get this premium certification. Our personal view is that this certification should be made compulsory by the Government to enhance the quality of the education & ensuring the bright future of the nation.