GPSC partners with local governments and educational institutions to develop “The New Normal School”, with Wat Ta Kuan School in Rayong as the pilot school for the new semester, with changes in the curriculum that includes extra-curricular activities to support “new normal” education. Tools and equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were also designed with the help of vocational school students and locals.
Mr.Chawalit Tippawanich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited or GPSC, the innovative power flagship of PTT Group, revealed that today (July 9, 20209) marks the official delivery of “The New Normal School” project to Wat Ta Kuan School in Rayong’s Map Ta Phut district. The school teaches about 530 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The project is a partnership between local government agencies and vocational colleges to raise the school’s standards in line with measures that will prevent the spread of COVID-19, which will lead to the school becoming a pilot school with a multidisciplinary curriculum, equipment and a learning environment that is suitable for safe learning, under new guidelines set by the Ministry of Education. A budget of about 1 million baht was used for the pilot school, and the company is prepared to help create new curriculum and install tools for other schools in Rayong in the future.
“Since the government has announced the reopening of schools nationwide on July 1, GPSC sees the importance of promoting high quality education and has partnered with local government agencies such as the Map Ta Phut public health and environment promotion unit, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and surrounding communities, to develop the pilot school project in Rayong province. Other schools or schools that lack teachers can adapt the teaching system to preserve the standards in preventing COVID-19 that are to be in place until a vaccine is developed to prevent the disease,” Mr. Chawalit said.
GPSC has helped design a curriculum for Wat Ta Kuan’s first semester of 2020 by incorporating social distancing guidelines, resulting in students attending classes on alternate days. This is in line with the online schedule of the DLTV channel, which is based on guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. The number of students in a classroom are lowered according to the number of seats, from 36 students per classroom to 18 students per classroom. GPSC has also helped design learning assessments, activities for students and a grading system that puts more importance on activities as oppose to written exams. This will result in students developing a well-rounded knowledge and ability to use that knowledge in their daily life under abnormal circumstances the world is currently faced with. Assessments will be conducted for at least one semester in order to collect information for the development of future curriculum.
Tools and equipment for learning were also developed, including the installation of 264 pieces of protective gear made from acrylic in all classrooms, eight automatic hand washing devices that are easy to mobilize, a tank with electrolyte water or gel for washing hands and the installation of social distancing banners throughout the school.
Along with public health and local agencies, GPSC has also developed various tools and equipment for schools to improve the knowledge and understanding of students, parents and staff regarding COVID-19 safety, as well as promoting technician skills and expertise for vocational school students and creating income for locals unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Locals and students from polytechnic colleges were also employed to help produce tools to prevent the spread of the virus. This is in line with GPSC’s policy to adhere to good governance principles that take into account corporate social responsibility and environmentally friendly business practices by raising people’s living standards in terms of education and health. This is to achieve the highest benefit towards all sectors, resulting in strong and sustainable economic development for the country.