Dr. Tulio Barrios Bulling is a pedagogue, consultant, educational researcher and administrator. During his professional career, he has held different positions (Headmaster, Deputy Director and Professor) at diverse educational levels. Currently, he is the Secretary of Studies at Universidad San Sebastián Faculty of Education in Santiago de Chile. His many interests include teachers’ leadership and performance assessment, skills and competencies development, quality standards and educational management.
How has the pandemic affected TVET? First findings and challenges.
The pandemic has stricken the world affecting every sphere of society creating high degrees of uncertainty. Many of its consequences are still immeasurable and its negative effects will accompany us for years to come. Education, just like the other areas of society, has been forced to adapt to the new circumstances rapidly and TVET is no exception. The first visible change is the swift transition from face-to-face to virtual teaching and assessment. There is evidence within the Chilean reality that this change has lowered the quality standards, mainly due to the lack of preparation of students and teachers. However, times of crisis are also times of great opportunities. Society will need more digital technicians, online TVET education will consolidate its position, and financing will have to be reconsidered in terms of equity and accessibility, the curriculum will need to become more flexible, learning communities will have to adapt, and the focus will have to be placed on quality.