The Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) will introduce Tourism Studies and a diploma programme at its School of Education next year.

The tourism programme will be part of the new School of Tourism and Hospitality that SICHE will add to its present courses.

Director of SICHE, Dick Ha'amori, revealed this at the college's graduation ceremony early last week.

Mr. Ha'amori said it is visionary on the part of the government, especially the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to support SICHE in establishing the new initiative.

He said theory impressions of the new school have been prepared and an architect is now working on details of the new school facilities.

Mr. Ha'amori said that there will also be various assistance from the Waikato University in New Zealand.

He said the rest of the college's curriculum will be reviewed, redeveloped and new ones developed, "by 2010 all SICHE programmes will all have been reviewed."

He said that the administrative arrangement to manage this very important college wide curriculum review is now in place.