The Education Ministry Director Curriculum Development Unit has questioned the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji National University what they are doing with the government grant given to them to facilitate the needs for tourism.
While speaking during a talanoa session at the FNU campus in Nasese between Higher Education Commission of Fiji and hotel service providers, Director CDU Ponipate Tiko says there are stakeholders of education in the talanoa session that are unsuitable to the government.
Tiko questioned the various universities if they have proposed to their chancellors the needs of the tourism industry, or do they allow the chancellors to dictate in their own way.
He also questioned the various stakeholders regarding the mismatch in skills in the tourism sector and asked what is the missing link in education.
He says the industry incubator is the solution which is a higher tertiary level setup where students can finish the normal curriculum and then get into the incubator system to get updated on the latest software and tools in the tourism industry.
Tiko has reiterated the need for more consultations to improve the tourism industry in Fiji.
He also confirmed that the Ministry has started curriculum audit last week and says it is sad to say it is too congested.
He says through the curriculum audit process, they have to eliminate the unnecessary and bring in the important components which is the missing link.
