Tourism is offered as a matric elective subject in some schools but some argue that it should not be taught as a standalone subject but be integrated into other subjects.
“Tourism should be embedded into other curriculums such as business studies, accounting and geography,” says Gillian Saunders, Deputy CEO and Head of Advisory Services at Grant Thornton, in a recent column. “This would also ensure that there are serious pupils learning about tourism as a part of a broader context in a strong matric.” She adds that pupils who continue on the academic route will then have the option of entering mainstream university courses with their focus being on tourism diplomas and degrees.
Likewise, Professor Berendien Lubbe, Head: Division Tourism Marketing at the University of Pretoria, also says tourism would work well if it is linked to other subjects, such as history and geography and not taught as a standalone subject. “Tourism is integral to all subjects and if curriculums could highlight the links and not try to condense tourism into one subject, its impact would probably be greater.”
Lubbe also argues that the academic discipline of tourism is complex and has many dimensions. For this reason, she says tourism as a school subject can, at best, be taught as a superficial and one-dimensional construct. “This breeds the preconceived notion of tourism as a ‘soft’ subject where learners are under the impression that it is an easy option.”
Saunders agrees that by making the subject elective, tourism is relegated to the status of being a ‘soft’ subject. As rural and township schools have made tourism an elective subject, which does not contribute to university entrance scores, it has added to the perception that tourism is a second-class career, adds Saunders.
Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest Destination Management, says, however, that tourism should be taught as a subject in schools if tourism is as important to the country as is claimed. However he emphasises that it should be taught by knowledgeable and skilled teachers. “Teachers need to be upskilled properly to teach it properly. We have had tertiary tourism lecturers here recently who were clueless in terms of anything tourism related and some of them had taught the subject for years.”
Do you think tourism should be taught as a standalone subject or integrated into other school subjects? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
