St.Edward´s College Sixth Form students participate in EUROSCOLA
St. Edward's College, was one of the participating schools in the first run of this year's Euroscola day, and the only College which represented Malta. Seeing that Malta is such a small and relatively insular island, Maltese students cherish participating in international events such as this and the Edwardian Sixth Formers were no exception. Twenty four first year students from St Edward's IB Sixth Form were chosen to represent the school on the day.
On 22nd January the European Parliament in Strasburg hosted Euroscola in which all students of the European Union's member states were given the chance to visit the parliament and acquire first hand experience of the way it functions.
The day was filled with activities ranging from serious student debates and games to presentations by European Officials. The purpose of Euroscola day is to give students the opportunity to involve themselves with current global issues thus allowing each participating school to present its own views and to come up with possible solutions whilst maintaining an open-minded and diplomatic approach towards others which is an integral part of the programme since students are given a unique opportunity to collaborate with other youths from all over the European Union which demands the overcoming of the language barriers and possible cultural differences which is the first step to living in a better and multicultural society.
St. Edward's College, was one of the participating schools in the first run of this year's Euroscola day, and the only College which represented Malta. Seeing that Malta is such a small and relatively insular island, Maltese students cherish participating in international events such as this and the Edwardian Sixth Formers were no exception. Twenty four first year students from St Edward's IB Sixth Form were chosen to represent the school on the day.
Prior to their departure, the European Parliament provided all participants with a list of six working themes which had to be discussed that day. All students were required to prepare a debate beforehand and, when in Strasburg, collaborate with youths from the other European countries in order to present an argument to the student 'MPs'.
In addition to this, each school was also required to elect one student to act as a speaker whose duties included a two minute presentation to all students and teachers sitting in the parliament in order to introduce his/her school and country. The speaker had to choose to deliver his/her speech in any official EU language bar his/her own. St Edward's College's speaker was Keith Mayl, who chose to deliver his speech in French (which is one of the three foreign languages taught at College) in which he spoke about Malta, the College, and the reasons behind the College's acceptance to participate in the Euroscola day.
The main focus of Euroscola day was the highly-organised and well-planned student debate on the six working themes. All 500 students were split into six groups, according to the aforementioned themes which had previously been discussed at the various schools prior to the event. Since each of the six groups now included a of variety students from different nationalities, the ideas and arguments differed greatly to the original ones. The groups had an hour and a half to discuss the topics which had been researched by each student beforehand, and then to choose and present the best arguments to all the people present in the Hemicycle. Each group was also required to elect a president and secretary, who would act as speakers.
St. Edward's College is proud to note that two out of the twelve group representatives were Edwardians; Keith Mayl was elected secretary for the Employment Policy group, and Yasmin Cachia was the elected president of the Environment group. The debates in the Hemicycle were far from easy, as the speakers, after presenting their arguments, had to answer a variety questions from the 500 students in the Hemicycle. Therefore a deep understanding of the topic was required in order to answer all questions satisfactorily. At the end of each debate, the students in the Hemicycle had to vote, through an electronic voting system normally used by actual EU Members of Parliament, to determine whether the policies brought forward by the group should be adopted. Students had the choice to vote in favour of or against the argument and proposals put forward or they could abstain from voting. All results were displayed on screens facing the voters. All of the 6 debates managed to pass with varying degrees.
Breathing Life into Europe
"The Breathing Life into Europe group discussed ways in which each member state could help to improve Europe as we know it. It was a very open ended question and, because of this, a wide variety of solutions and suggestions were put forward. There were points which addressed the problems of cultural divides still present within Europe, such as those found in the island nation of Cyprus. Ways by which wealth and new business could be introduced to the EU were also discussed as well as possible ways with which improvements in trade links with other nations could be made. The discussion was very intriguing, in particular the input from the new Eastern European members, who had interesting points to make which differed markedly from those made by students from the original member states. The contribution of the Edwardians helped to advance the discussion and we found it comfortable to communicate our points in order to reach possible solutions.
Employment Policy
'As part of the Employment Policy group, we were required to discuss ways in which Europe could combat youth unemployment which is an issue that was very relevant to all the participants of the discussion. Due to the global recession and financial crisis, the group focused on ways of enhancing students' chances of getting employed once they graduate. The main arguments raised involved helping university students acquire work experience, which would give them an edge over others and, as a result, increase the possibilities of finding a job. We also suggested offering tax reductions for all those companies willing to either employ students which have just graduated or to those which considered establishing themselves in areas of high unemployment. The group also felt that the EU could offer small jobs within its own framework to provide youths with the opportunity to work abroad. The discussion was very interesting, and we managed to collaborate well with students from all nations despite the language barriers that existed. Euroscola day provided us with an opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and it helped us to integrate ourselves accordingly - it perfectly complimented the values that the IB Organisation strives to instill in its pupils.'
The Future of Europe
"Our aim was to discuss the future ideals of the EU. Our students participated actively in engaging the discussion in topics such as illegal immigration, which is very important and relevant to Malta, the Euro and its adoption across the union, the acceptance of new member states, stipends and education, as well as transportation and trade. The comments on these matters were very well received, especially by our counterparts in Cyprus, Lithuania and Spain, who face similar problems and were therefore able to work with the Edwardians to propose common solutions based upon personal experiences, perceptions and information. We were extremely pleased with the overall contributions of all the countries present, and the amicable way with which the debate proceeded. It was an invaluable learning experience for all, which helped the students widen their EU horizons and make new friends with the neighbour states."
In conclusion the Euroscola day was an unforgettable experience, which we strongly recommend others to participate in. Not only did the day provide us with a deep insight on how the parliament functions, but it also gave us the opportunity to confidently express our opinions as well as to resolve differences by collaborating with members of various Europe countries which, for us Maltese students, was a rare opportunity. From a speaker's point of view, the chance to represent Malta was surely one that I will never forget. Saying that we enjoyed the day would most certainly be an understatement. We all hope that Euroscola Day will continue in the future so that other students can also experience firsthand how policies which determine their future are formed. We wish to thank the organisers of this programme for the wonderful and unforgettable opportunity we were given to learn and experience the true meaning of 'Unity in diversity'.
