As mentioned by Geoffrey Doherty, an Emeritus Professor, in the historical perspective in his writing said that “Quality Assurance (QA) is a proactive approach which attempts to identify problems and deal with them immediately, or even better prevent them from happening at all.”
In another definition, the so called quality assurance that we have today in our societyis the systematic review ofeducational programs and objectives to make sure that satisfactory standards ofeducation are being properly met and maintained.
In education, it is the efficient management, monitoring, evaluation and reviews of resource inputs (teachers, facilities, instructional materials and supervision); transformational process (teaching-learning); and quality outputs (students met the expectations of the society).
Doherty mentioned that Quality Control (QC) is immediately applicable to manufacturing, where the outcomes are products of one kind or another. However, the fact is that quality assessment was applied to education before the industrial revolution was at its peak.
So, it is a mere fact that quality assurance is also applicable and relevant to the field of education in order to achieve the aimed outcome.
Additionally, quality assurance also involves the identification of the needs of the schools, their performances and their systems.
Quality assurance traces the needs of the students, teachers and personnel comprising the whole educational organization, Moreover, the needs for instructional materials, facilities and infrastructures are also being suggested.
The performances of the school as concretized in the performance indicators are also being considered. Most importantly, the system or management of the school is being checked in its efficiency and effectiveness.
In the Philippines, the Department of Education considers Quality Assurance (QA) as one of its top priorities for it gauges the needs, resolves the situations, raises the standards of education and creates great outputs in the school systems and operations.
Quality Assurance (QA) should have achieved something…that is there must be a quality product. At present the product may be the success in the teaching and learning, learning experiences, school management or school operation and among others. Practically, one thing is for sure in Quality Assurance (QA) i.e. the aimed product must have a ‘great purpose.’
Citations/References/Electronic/References:
Doherty,Geoffrey,Quality Assurance in Education. Cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/33263.pdf
By: FELISA C. BRAVO Principal 1 Dr. Victoria B. Roman Memorial High School Pantingan, Pilar, Bataan
