Upcoming ISO 9001 Revision Targets Education with New Focus Areas

A major update to the world’s most-used quality management framework is underway, with a new draft (DIS) expected in June 2025. The revised edition—anticipated for late 2026—is set to reshape educational quality assurance by integrating new expectations.

Revision Timeline

• Draft International Standard (DIS): expected June 2025

• Public consultation: 60–90 days after DIS publication

• Final publication: projected in late 2026 (possibly early 2027), based on August 2026 scheduling

The draft went through an initial committee draft (CD2) phase earlier this year, which was revised following feedback. National delegations are now preparing for the DIS stage .

Key Themes Relevant to Education

1. Risk, Resilience & Crisis PreparednessSchools must now integrate digital security, pandemic readiness, and supply chain resilience into quality processes.

2. Sustainability & Environmental ManagementEducational institutions will need better visibility of environmental footprint and sustainable procurement strategies 

3. Digital & AI Integration

   Explicit requirements for data protection, integrity of online assessments, and ethical AI use signal major change

4. Ethics & Stakeholder Engagement

   Expect new mandates on transparency, student/adult consultation, feedback loops, and policies reinforcing institutional integrity

5. Supply‑chain OversightThird-party providers such as e-learning platforms and outsourced services will come under formal scrutiny .

Why It Matters to Educational Institutions

• Broader Quality Lens: Goes beyond academic quality to environmental, digital, and ethical dimensions.

• Operational Integration: Requires deeper alignment across departments—from procurement to pedagogy.

• Strategic Opportunity: Institutions can start aligning processes now to gain competitive advantage.

• Transition Window: Around 3 years post-publication to achieve compliance—likely until 2029

Preparing Ahead of Time

• Conduct a gap analysis against proposed draft areas.

• Provide staff development on risk management, sustainability, and AI ethics.

• Update supplier evaluation and platform-licensing processes.

• Engage with gap tools and consultancy, some already available via quality partners