@article {278, title = {QUALITY OF EDUCATION: FASHION OR NECESSITY?!}, journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century }, volume = {15}, year = {2009}, month = {November/2009}, type = {Editorial}, chapter = {5-8}, abstract = {One of the quality theory models, undoubtedly, is quality management. At the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st this model becomes perhaps the most fashionable in management theory. We can say straight away that what can be fashionable it is not always right and reasonable. Is it in reality so? It is hard to pretend to exhaustive analysis in this article however, it is purposeful to pay attention to some things. Another argument {\textendash} history knows plenty of examples when different theories wouldn{\textquoteright}t grow from {\textquotedblleft}infancy{\textquotedblright} stage, wouldn{\textquoteright}t pass on to a practice level, at best they would remain only a mass of pompous slogans. Speaking about quality, such attitude, undoubtedly, has its own positions. Alternative approach has positions as well which claims that quality management ideology and philosophy is not only a common short-term campaign, but a serious universal movement.� Different processes are taking place in every educational organization. In some of them, there are more of them, in others less. In some places, they are complicated (e.g. in higher schools), in other places, they can be simpler (e.g. non-formal educational institutions). However, in all places they are relevant and have to be carried out qualitatively, in other words, to satisfy fixed requirements. Some of the processes are important because service (future production) quality depends directly on them, the others don{\textquoteright}t have direct influence on service/future production. It is obvious, that all these processes, both basic and secondary are equally important and only acting closely with each other they can guarantee success of organization activity (systematic approach). Thus, there is no doubt, that implementation of quality management systems in educational organizations is very urgent. One can ask why it is urgent? First of all, it is because that general quality management philosophy is more and more developing and becoming more acceptable. Quite often one can hear the opponents claiming that ISO standards don{\textquoteright}t suit for educational organizations. It is true, that ISO standards are rather universal; therefore, it is not easy to adapt them in the education sphere. On the other hand, such programmed universality gives more action freedom, forms conditions to assess specific character of every concrete organization. Quality management system forms conditions to control not separate, broken up processes or activities, but see them as a whole entirety. Undoubtedly, this is very important seeking to guarantee vital capacity of concrete organization. The second obvious truth is that quality in education sphere is getting worse, competition gets stronger and this in its turn makes organizations search for ways and strategies of making their activities more effective. The third thing is that today in Lithuania and not only in Lithuania, job and education markets do not match. A gap is rather big. Thus, it is not enough to teach, we must know clearly what we teach, how we teach and who for we teach. Undoubtedly, quality management system implementation is a serious instrument to virtually improve the activity of all educational organizations.}, keywords = {educational organization, quality management, quality standards}, issn = {1822-7864}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1395386501.pdf}, author = {Vincentas Lamanauskas} }