New Delhi: 26 schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have opted for "Hospitality and Tourism" as a vocational course from the current academic session 2010-11 under a pilot project.

An MoU to offer Hotel Management and Catering Technology courses for Class 11 and 12 students in CBSE schools, was signed between National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and CBSE on July 20, 2010.

The 26 schools that are offering the hospitality courses in classes 11 and 12 include 2 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 19 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, 2 schools of Central Tibetan School Administration and 3 schools of the Delhi Government.

The curriculum for the courses, including text books, has been designed by experts from the NCHMCT and it is understood that each school would be adopted by a designated mentor Institute of Hotel Management.

Such a step would assist schools to professionally adopt and deliver the curriculum. Joint certification on successful completion of the course will ensure industry reorganization for students who can then either enter the profession directly or take up the further course at undergraduate level, for which they will be provided due weightage.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said that vocational education is a means of empowerment of children through imparting skills and underlined that it will lead to inclusive education.

He also stated that the strengthening of vocational education is required in order to take advantage of the demographic dividend of the country, as a means to give a skill orientation to those passing of senior secondary school, and who are not able to go to college.

"In the area of skill development, training in the hospitality sector has a special place, as when the global economy expands, the first sector to prosper is tourism," he said.