Respondents indicated that students must be able to think for themselves, be pro-active and have ‘common sense’ as listed in Table 4.15. It seems that students wait for instructions as discussed in the section following the table. Some of these topics are covered in the national tourism curriculum as listed in Table 4.15.
118
Table 4.15: Data summary about ability to think for oneself, common sense and being pro-active
Data from interviews Comparison with curriculum -Concern from many respondents that students
cannot think for themselves, are not pro-active and do not have common sense.
-Students must have the ability to solve problems and complaints.
-Students are like school children.
-Students must be inquisitive and ask questions.
In Tourism Communication N5 the following are dealt with: dealing with enquiries, complaints and conflict (humane treatment, sexual harassment).
In Hotel Reception N6 how to communicate with guests are dealt with.
Employers mentioned the fact that students cannot think for themselves – it is often with simple tasks that they require guidance. There seems to be a general lack of common sense amongst students which is alarming:
“Studente het partykeer ook nie “common sense” nie: hoe om ‘n tuinslang te skuif, hoe om ‘n vuur aan te steek, tamaties in ‘n sakkie te pak by Checkers, hoe om vir ‘n gas tee te maak – algemene goedjies wat studente behoort te weet.” (E4) (Students sometimes do not have common sense: how to move a
garden hose, how to light a fire, how to pack tomatoes in a bag at Checkers, how to make tea for a guest – general things that a student should know.)
“Sometimes it seems that their common sense and logic have disappeared. The younger generation is different – they are stimulated visually and it seems that basic manners and life skills and etiquette are not always taught to them by their parents. And that is sad. That is not something that a College can teach.” (E9)
Employers also expressed frustration with the fact that students are not pro-active and wait for instructions. Boland College aims to equip students with various skills. Assignments that require them to be pro-active (for example having to make appointments with tourism establishments to obtain information) and think for themselves (how they will approach a certain assignment) are included throughout the programme. Employers made the following responses that indicate their frustration with students that are not pro-active as well as why they require students to think for themselves:
“Leer asseblief vir die studente om nie te wag vir opdragte nie – wees meer pro-aktief. Hulle moet inisiatief neem: staan op en gaan help die dames in die kombuis. Ek sê ook vir studente moenie net sit
119
nie, kom vra vir my vir iets om te doen. Hulle moet ook besef dit maak ‘n goeie indruk op die ander personeel as hulle sien die studente is nie bang vir werk nie. Doen net iets. Moet nie net daar sit nie. Studente moet moeite doen met die gaste en ekstra vriendelik wees – dit skep die atmosfeer in ons gastehuis.” (E4) (Please teach the students not to wait for instructions – be more pro-active. They must
take the initiative – stand up and go and help the ladies in the kitchen. I also tell the students not to just sit around, come and ask me for something to do. Just do something. Do not just sit there. Students must put in effort with guests and be extra friendly – it sets the atmosphere in our guest house.)
“Ek dink die studente moet meer pro-aktief wees – hulle moet goed doen, inisiatief neem en nie net agteroor sit en wag vir goed om te gebeur nie. Ek dink ook die projekte wat hulle moet doen is goed – dit dwing hulle om in kontak te bly – mens moet sorg dat mens weet wat aangaan.” (E11) (I think the
students must be more pro-active – they must do things, take the initiative and not just sit and wait for things to happen. I think the projects that they have to do are good – they force them to stay in contact – one must ensure one knows what is going on.)
Even graduates realised the importance of using their own initiative and showing employers that they can think for themselves:
“Ek is ‘n mense-mens, ek werk goed saam met mense, ek kan instruksies goed volg ek kan ook my eie inisiatief gebruik. Boland Kollege het ‘n deel daaraan gehad maar ek was nog altyd iemand wat my eie inisiatief gebruik het. Dit is die tipe mens wat ek nog altyd was, maar Boland Kollege het ‘n aandeel daaraan gehad. Veral in die tipe take wat ons moes doen, jy moes self alles doen, jy was nie ge-“spoon feed” nie.” (G2) (I am a people’s person, I work well with people, and I can follow instructions well
and can use my own initiative. Boland College had a part in that but I think I have always been someone that can use my own initiative. That is the type of person I have always been, but Boland College had a part in that. Especially in the types of assignments we had to do, you had to do everything yourself, you were not spoon fed.)
“Ek was ywerig, bereid om hard te werk. Altyd bereid om te leer. Wat ek by die Kollege geleer het is om hard te werk, tyd te bestuur, ons is nie ge-”spoonfeed” nie. Van die mense wat saam met my werk wil net agteroor sit. Mens kan nie wag en sit vir iets om te gebeur nie, mens moet hard werk en gaan daarvoor.” (G6) (I was eager and willing to work hard. Always willing to learn. What I learnt at the
College was to work hard, manage my time, we were not spoon fed. Some of the people that work with me just want to sit around. You cannot sit and wait for something to happen; you must work hard for it.)