Education Out of SchoolI. The origin of "Youth Hostel":A G

Education out of School
    Morning, everyone. Today we are going to talk about education out of school.
    For years, children in the industrial areas of Europe and America seldom left their smoky cities to see the beauties of the countryside because factory workers did not have enough money to send their children on country holidays away from home. In 1907, a young German schoolmaster had an idea which changed this state of affairs. (1) He decided to turn his little schoolhouse into a dormitory for the summer holidays. Anyone who brought his sleeping bag and cooking equipment along could stay there for a very small amount of money. The idea was a success. A few years later, the schoolhouse was far too small to hold the many young people who wanted to stay there. Consequently, a dormitory was set up in an old castle nearby. This was the first Youth Hostel.
    Today young students and workers of every country can meet in the hostels and get to know each other. When young people arrive at a hostel, (2) they have only to show their card of membership in a hostel organization in their own country. (3) This card will permit them to use the facilities of hostels all over the world for a minimum price.
    Often at the evening meal, a group of boys and girls of different ages from various parts of the country or the world, will happen to meet at the same hostel. They may put their provisions together and prepare a dinner with a wide variety of dishes on the menu. Sometimes an informal program will be organized after the meal, with dances, songs or short talks followed by a question period. One can learn a lot of things about other places, just by meeting people who come form those places. (4) Hence, a few weeks spent "hostelling" can be just as useful a part of one’s education as classes in school.
    Since the end of World War II, hostels have been opened in Africa and Asia. Today, there are thousands of centers in 61 countries on five continents. These hostels have facilities for more than 250, 000 young people, who can travel to different parts of their own country or the world, without spending a lot of money. (5) In today’s world, where so much depends on understanding between nations, hostels are extremely important. They are more than convenient places for young travelers to spend the night, because they also give people the opportunity to meet and learn about each other. A first-hand contact with youths of other lands can be worth far more than lectures or books.
    Many groups of young people volunteer to serve (7) at a work camp without pay, during their summer holidays. There they spend several weeks or months working eight hours a day. (8) In their free time they see the country, meet the people, and have discussions about world problems and problems of the region where they are working. Such volunteer groups do not work only in the "poor" areas of Latin America, Africa and Asia, but also in the "rich" countries of Europe and America. Even the most fortunate countries have large numbers of people who have not been able to find decent jobs or housing. (9) When the volunteer workers come to community centers and playgrounds, organizing clubs and the children and young people, the formerly hopeless and discouraged members of the community see that all is not lost. Because of the work of volunteers, many small communities are learning that they can and should solve their problems themselves. They are discovering that they have the right to ask certain things of the local or national governments. Some villagers discover, for the first time, the joys and advantages of working together and putting together their money to build things the community needs.
    The fact that someone is interested enough to come to such villages and help them often works wonders. The people of the community become interested in helping themselves. They become less discouraged when they realize that they themselves can help make a better future. Even after the volunteers have gone, the villagers often keep in touch with their new friends.