Evaluating education quality in terms of ISO9000 standards

While nations measure the quality of educational systems by different standards, many nations, such as China, have adopted the ISO9000 quality standards to assess the quality of schools. This article explores the various elements of the the ISO 9000 standards and how each element relates to the various groups that are consumers or stakeholders in the educational process. The authors then develop a model to explain the relationship of the expectations of stakeholder groups to measures of quality for educational inputs, processes, and outputs. Emphasizing the differences between business and educational systems, a balance of promissory and satisfaction standards based on the ISO9000 standards is suggested in order to appropriately and effectively assess educational quality.   Key words: Education, quality; standards, ISO9000 series, customer satisfaction.