What Is ISO 21001 Certification? How Much Does It Cost?

Do you know that even though 91% of children attend primary education globally, most are not learning enough?

UNESCO says that over 617 million children are not learning although they attend school. Their reports also indicate that the number of students dropping out has significantly increased from 2021.

Unqualified or lack of teachers and economic issues are among the most common reasons behind this issue.

So, as an owner of an educational institute, how should you deal with this issue?

You can implement an educational organization management system, like ISO 21001. It will help you maintain structured processes throughout your organization, improving the quality of education and making students a top priority.

In today’s blog, we will look at the principles and requirements of the standard, the ISO 21001 certification cost, and other factors.

Hence, if you are looking for an effective way to manage your educational institute, keep reading!

What Is The ISO 21001 Certification?

The ISO 21001 standard offers a framework to establish an educational organization management system. Following the framework can help create and maintain transparency, inclusivity, and flexibility across your EOMS.

It will allow you to implement the best practices, provide personalized training, improve the quality of education, train educators, and take a learner-centric approach.

ISO published the standard in 2018 to help educational institutions provide high-quality services. Also, the certification promotes equitable and accessible education for learners with special needs and distance learners.

What Is The ISO 21001 Certification Cost?

Your ISO 21001 certification cost depends extensively on the size and complexity of your organization, the scope of the EOMS, and the certification body you hire. To give you an estimation, a company with around 25 employees may pay approximately 4000 USD for their ISO 21001 certification.

On the other hand, an organization with 250 employees pays maybe 12000 USD for the ISO EOMS certification. Also, the cost can vary based on your location and the time it takes to audit the EOMS.

If you want a realistic figure, speak to your nearest third-party auditor. Remember to ensure the auditor has certification and works with accredited certification bodies.

Can Your Educational Institute Apply For The ISO 21001 Certification?

The ISO 21001 standard applies to all organizations operating in the educational sector. Regardless of the size, nature, and location of the company, you can apply for the certification if you can bear the ISO 21001 certification cost.

Following are a few examples of educational institutions that can apply for the ISO 21001 certification:

• Pre-schools,

• Colleges,

• Adult education centers,

• Vocational education centers,

• Tutoring or coaching centers,

• Special education schools,

• Universities,

• Training institutes,

• K-12 schools.

Principles Of ISO 21001 Certification

The ISO 21001 EOMS certification has 11 principles, including the following.

• Focus on learners and other beneficiaries,

• Visionary leadership,

• Engagement of people,

• Process approach,

• Improvement,

• Evidence-based decisions,

• Relationship management,

• Social responsibility,

• Accessibility and equity,

• Ethical conduct in education,

• Data security and protection.

Is ISO 21001 Certification Worth It?

After seeing the ISO 21001 certification cost, you may wonder whether achieving the certification is worth it.

Well, if you consider the statistics above, ISO 21001 can be valuable for many education institutes.

The education sector across the world is facing many hurdles, from unqualified stakeholders and corrupt management to a lack of resources. About 72 million children don’t even get the chance to get an education. If you listen to experts, only six out of ten kids will finish school in 2030.

ISO 21001 can play a critical role in improving the situation.

When followed religiously, the standard can help you

• Align organizational policies with objectives and enhance the credibility and reliability of the institute,

• Execute personalized learning processes to make education more accessible,

• Promote inclusivity and meet learner’s expectations,

• Demonstrate your commitment to quality and comprehensive education,

• Harmonize legal regulations and other requirements into a single framework,

• Enhance your social responsibility.

The Requirements Of ISO 21001 Certification

Do you think the above benefits justify the ISO 21001 certification cost? If you do, here are the requirements you have to meet to comply with the ISO 21001 standards.

ISO 21001 follows the same high-level structure as ISO 9001. It contains 10 clauses, three of them being introductory.

These are the seven clauses you have to follow to achieve the certification.

Context of the organization:

Your organization shall define the internal and external issues affecting its educational organization management system. Furthermore, you should form strategies to obtain the EOMS objectives that include its purpose and social responsibilities.

Leadership: 

The top management of your company should take accountability and responsibility for maintaining the effectiveness of the EOMS. Along with helping you make a plan to cover ISO 21001 certification costs, they shall assist with integrating the management system across the company.

Planning:

You should make plans to address risks and opportunities, meet the objectives of the EOMS, and manage changes.

Support:

You will spend a significant percentage of your total ISO 21001 certification cost to meet this clause. It requires you to determine what resources are needed to implement and maintain the EOMS and gather them.

Operation: 

It is one of the lengthiest clauses of the standard. It operates with clause 6 of ISO 21001. You can use this clause to develop controls for developing and designing educational products and services, control externally provided resources, and more.

Performance evaluation: 

Your organization shall adopt methods to monitor, measure, evaluate, and analyze performance.

Improvement: 

To maintain the EOMS, your organization shall identify and address nonconformity, continual improvement, and requirements of corrective actions.

Summing Up

The benefits of the EOMS certification surely outweigh the ISO 21001 certification cost here. However, remember, that achieving ISO certification is not a one-time thing. It’s a recognition that you will have to continuously maintain, which means going through paid annual third-party audits. So, before jumping into the process, consider creating a realistic budget and consulting with multiple auditors and certification bodies to get a good deal.