Maun — Maun Senior Secondary School is ready to welcome a first batch of hospitality and tourism form four pupils this year.
North West regional education director, Ms Veronica Letlhare, said this at a pre-implementation workshop in Maun on Monday.
“We have done learners profiling, in-service training and construction of the hospitality and tourism facility is ongoing,” she said.
Ms Letlhare said the Ministry of Basic Education had embarked on transformational agenda to produce learners with more knowledge and skills by adopting the multiple pathways approach.
She said the approach came about from recommendations on the Revised National Policy on Education of 1994.
She said Maun Senior Secondary School was earmarked for hospitality and tourism programme, since it is located within a tourism hub.
Ms Letlhare said the Hospitality and Tourism syllabus had also been produced and that the workshop was for the teachers and stakeholders to appreciate the syllabus.
The pilot for multiple pathways, she said would be done at Maun and Moeng College in Agriculture before being rolled out to other schools.
Maun Senior Secondary School head, Ms Lekala Legwaila said the construction of the Hospitality and Tourism training facilities, which started in June 2021 was at roofing level.
Ms Legwaila observed that registration of teachers and assessors was also ongoing, although she said some teachers were reluctant to apply for accreditation.
She said about 1 327 students who were in form three 3 had been profiled, 631 for academic pathways and 481 for vocational pathway and 215 for direct vocal institutions, adding that further screening of students would be done.
Nonetheless, she said, the first batch of 120 students would be placed at Maun Senior Secondary School, saying some students were expected from junior schools in other regions such as the central region of Ramotswa.
Ms Legwaila observed that procurement of some necessary equipment and furniture had started and that some had arrived in the school.
She said in case the construction had not been completed when form four students opened, the students would be temporarily housed in existing structures.