HOSTELS FOR CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22685, 24 March 1937, Page 17

HOSTELS FOR CHILDREN

Sir, —Many of tlie people of New Zealand and most of the children are quite unaware of the heaut.v of our land. Railway fares are high and the cost of accommodation at the large hotels in our tourist resorts is prohibitive. Something certainly has been dono by way of reducing fares and hotel fees to school parties, but so far only a very small proportion of this school population of New Zealand has been able to visit such places as Tongariro and Mount Cook. Parents are deterred by the expense, which is still lijgh, and in some quarters there is reluctance to interrupt the school work. Both these difficulties could be done away with to some extent if we adopted something from the countries of Europe. In Germany, many city schools have, in the mountains, forests, or by tho sea, houses to which the pupils go in batches for a week or a fortnight at a time. Classes are continued, and, in addition, the pupils have tho opportunity of indulging in sea bathing, tramping, ski-ing, etc., according to the locality and the season. In Austria the Government arranges classes in skiing for school children (Vcrwaltuug tier Staatlichen Jugendskikurse Wien). Pupils and teachers may substitute a week's ski-ing for a week at school. There are classes for beginners and for more advanced pupils, at two beautiful spots in the Austrian Alps —Turnitz and St. Christopli am Arlberg—the fees at both places being very moderate. In Greece certain schools spend a whole month by tho sea. Some schools run an "excursion fund" to which the children subscribe and the amount collected is spent on expeditions to Athens, Mount 01 vm pus, Mount Parnassus, etc. In New Zealand we could surely carry out some of these ideas. I would suggest the erection of school hostels or groups of hostels in tho most beautiful spots. The hotels which already exist in somo of these places aro built for tourists, aro needed for tourists, aro too elaborate and sumptuous for school children and hr.ve not, the right atmosphere. Simple comfort is all that is needed. Accommodation for about 30 or 40 pupils could be provided in each hostel and in each there should be a classroom. These hostels could bo used all tho year round, different schools using them in rotation, and they could l)e run very cheaply. I would suggest that at Tongariro and Mount Cook and other places where ski-ing and skating aro possible definite instruction should be given, as in Austria, and certificates awarded for proficiency. We might even go further some day and adopt the German plan of including athletics in the ma trie, certificate. With a system of school hostels such as this, thousands of our children would each year be able to visit somo beautiful spot and be given the opportunity of appreciating the magnificence of their own land. R. H. Jenkins.