South Australia integrating tourism studies into the school curriculum

A SA government report says that today 1/3 of all State Schools (across all 3 sectors) offer tourism & hospitality courses, with girls making up 2/3 of the students and thousands of businesses from small cafes to the Adelaide Convention Centre give students work placements and hands-on experiences. Some tourism activities are being included at school level:

(i) At Port Lincoln school students grow and prepare herbs, spices and cards for the town’s tourist outlets
(ii) At Tunby Bay Area School there is an olive oil production project
(iii) The Yalata Aboriginal School has a whale watching project at Head of Bight
(iv) Teachers in Adelaide’s southern suburbs are touring the kitchens of large hospitals and hotels to update their skills as well as getting involved in events such as the Sea and Vines Festival at McLaren Vale. Interestingly a six year old report commissioned by the federal government (Tourism: Getting it Right for the Millennium, Jon Hutchison 1997) recommended that tourism studies be included in the school curriculum Australia-wide to give young Australians a better appreciation of what tourism actually is and what role it plays in our society – the economic, social and environmental implications. Hutchison’s research showed that tourism is not very well understood….SA may well be leading the way here!