Salò’s Battisti Institute Launches New Tourism High School Program
A tourism-oriented high school. It was approved by the «Battisti» Technical Institute of Salò, after receiving the blessing of local authorities.
Subjects and Organization of the Tourism Program
The subjects? Besides the core subjects (Italian, History, Science and Biology, First Foreign Language, Mathematics, Law, Business Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Physical Education, Religion), there are those specific to the field (Physics and Chemistry, Second Foreign Language, Tourism Legislation) and optional (Third Language, Information and Telematics Technologies, Territory, Art and Geography). The weekly hours range between 30 and 32.
«The tourism sector currently (and even more so in the future) represents (and will represent) the preferred activity to which the entire Garda area has historically been oriented — explains Carolina Almici Bologna, school director —. This underscores its strategic importance for the local populations in terms of employment, development, and social standing.
The new challenges of globalization and the constant market changes require continuous updates in staff training, with the need to create new, more qualified roles that align with European standards and, on a cultural level, respond to the evolving needs of both operators and clients.
«Hence the urgency of a project aimed primarily at responding to the demands of families and entrepreneurs, particularly regarding the complex management of the wide range of services and exchanges with other countries. The lake, which covers 5% of the entire national sector, plays a significant role, yet there is no institute with such prerogatives in the area.
And the existing hotel vocational schools (in Gardone Riviera, Desenzano, and Bardolino, ed.), aimed at training operational technicians of varying levels, are not able to sufficiently meet the demands of this extensive and specialized market».
Proposed Courses and Ambitions of the New Program
The «Battisti» offers courses in Accounting (now called Igea), Programming, Erica, and Surveying. Plus an evening Sirio program.
It is attended mostly by students who are not from Salò.
«Few schools like the one we intend to create exist: in Milan, Biella, Florence, Rome, Amalfi, Syracuse — adds the principal —. This is a time of profound change, and there is an opportunity to enrich our institute with a program that will train operators with managerial responsibilities».
Approval by Local Authorities
The local authorities have given their green light.
Bruno Faustini, president of the Mountain Community-park: «We have examined the proposal. The tourism high school aligns with the needs of our territory».
Giuseppe Mongiello, head of the Garda Community: «We are very interested. We are considering its launch starting from the next school year».
Mayor Giampiero Cipani: «It’s a very interesting project, in line with the extensive experience of the «Battisti» school in foreign languages, which deserves increased efforts in terms of human and infrastructural resources».
Cipani also suggested a series of activities students could undertake: organizing guided tours in collaboration with travel agencies and restaurateurs, cataloging documents stored in the former civic college (the land registry), conducting various research (Austrian military forts at Cima Zette, washhouses and fountains, cultural-religious-gastronomic toponymy), and exploring history from Roman traces to the Italian Social Republic.
The «Battisti» school council and teaching staff have approved the proposal, which now awaits endorsement from Palazzo Broletto (Councilor Mauro Parolini) and higher authorities.