HOW TO TURN CRISIS INTO OPPORTUNITY OF THAI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ON THE NEW NORMAL

Abstract

According to COVID-19 crisis, it causes several effects on the way of life of people in Thailand and many countries throughout the world. On the other hand, when considering with consciousness based on the Buddhist Principles that is considered as the best immune and solution to prevent and solve crisis, “opportunity crisis” can be obtained and utilized because every crisis always builds new changes of the world that exceed the expectation. This crisis stimulates development leading to new dimensions and way of life, i.e., building new opportunities, especial educational opportunity that is considered as the important mechanism of national development developed through population development. For instruction of vocational education that is considered as vocational education of colleges under Office of the Vocational Educational Commission, preparation for these occurred changes is performed by making colleges to be ready in developing teachers to have knowledge and abilities in analyzing curriculum of electronic lessons and electronic media, preparing assessment that suits students, preparing durable articles and devices for distance vocational education, establishing instructional media production center, preparing internet technology system, and providing lecturers from other sources that are suitable for distance learning via electronic system. The guideline on adjustment for turning crisis into opportunity consist of: 1) teaching that consists of academic skills, vocational skills, and life skills in COVID-19 era;             2) family and community-based learning; 3) New Normal learning design in changing situation; and 4) enhancing assessment for development. Consequently, COVID-19 crisis is considered as the opportunities of new learning style via technologies under the principle of the Ministry of Education or "learning beyond education”, i.e., schools and colleges are able to stop operations but learning still continues.