NOVEMBER 12 — We complain when the food we order is poorly prepared, when services are slow, or when the products we buy do not last. We demand quality from businesses, hospitals, schools and public services. But here is a question worth asking: Are we teaching our children to value quality in their own lives? As the world marks World Quality Day on November 12, 2026, perhaps it is time to look beyond factories, certificates and inspection reports. Quality should not be something we expect only from organisations. It should begin with the way we think, behave and treat the world around us.
This year’s World Quality Week, observed from November 9 to 13, carries the theme “Quality: Powering Performance”. It reminds us that quality helps organisations perform better. Yet, there is another side to quality that deserves our attention: building responsible human beings who care about their surroundings. Where better to begin than in our classrooms? Think about a child who finishes a school project but leaves the classroom covered in rubbish. Or a student who scores excellent marks in Science but sees nothing wrong with throwing plastic waste into a drain. Can we truly call this quality education? Good grades may reflect academic achievement, but they do not automatically produce responsible citizens.
