@dbekhouc We chatted before but just so everyone knows - The reason I use Photoshop and ZBrush is because those are the main tools most industry artists will use during their career.
I'm not going to argue there are extremely valid alternatives out there, that's true and students should definitely explore them if they're interested, but more likely than not PS+ZBrush is what you'll be using.
I always prefer taking the safe route and going with what is currently in place, and what is likely to stick around in the future.
Besides, Photoshop is not only a painting tool, like we cover in the course, it's great for vector art, photo manipulation and a number of other applications. I would be doing you guys a big disservice by not teaching it. ART School is not specifically for future painters either, it's for any art-related career, with a focus on digital art.
When working freelance, the tools you use don't matter as much, but most career artists are working in-house where the tools do matter. Those tools are Photoshop and ZBrush.
I would almost recommend you get a Photoshop subscription before you spend money on a tablet. Photoshop definitely has a bigger learning curve, so the sooner you start the better 
