EU Project Day
Do politicians take Europe’s young people sufficiently into account? What is the German government doing to prevent Europe fragmenting? These were some of the questions that students of the Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule in Berlin’s Pankow district discussed with the Chancellor as part of EU Project Day.
3 min reading time
Encounters are important for Europe - as demonstrated by the projects that the students showed the Chancellor
Photo: Bundesregierung/Bergmann
Before the Chancellor’s visit the young people had explored the whole question of Europe in depth – that was plain to see. The young panel speakers in the school hall all had very specific and well founded questions for their high-ranking visitor.
More Europe in lessons
Mathilda got the ball rolling. "On some points, we, the young people of Europe, do not feel that our voices are being heard." More than half of young British people, for instance, voted against Brexit. They were outvoted, although it is primarily their future that is at stake.
The Chancellor’s statement, that it is important that young people in particular make use of their right to vote, did not go far enough for Christoph. He countered that young people can only be encouraged to go and vote if they really know about the EU. Schools spend too little time on European policy, and on communicating a basic understanding of the European Union. All panel speakers agreed that more school time must be devoted to Europe. Even when the Chancellor pointed out that the individual federal states are responsible for education in Germany.
Taking account of young people’s wishes
The discussion continued, issue for issue: from the conflict between the EU and Russia to Germany’s trade surplus to the refugee question. The phenomenon of Euroscepticism was also a matter raised – and what can be done to counter it. Georg voiced his concern over the rise of populist parties in the EU. The Chancellor replied, "The best way to deal with populists is to address the actual grounds for dissatisfaction."
Finally, facilitator Christoph expressed his hope that "you will take our opinions with you" into the political arena. And that is precisely what the Chancellor will do. This school visit, she declared, has shown her that "there is a high level of interest in Europe on the part of young people, but that they would like to find out more about Europe, and most of all they would like to see the wishes and dreams of young people taken into account to a greater extent".
Encounters for young Europeans
The students and teachers at Berlin’s Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule are particularly committed to Europe. The school has already conducted a number of European projects, sponsored by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme.
Students presented two of these projects to the Chancellor. One is the "Kulturkiosk" (cultural kiosk) programme, under which the students have worked with young people from five other EU states to develop interactive museum guides. Mathilda reported, "It was an incredible experience – one that we will never forget."
The Chancellor was impressed. She declared that she had felt the fascination that Europe can hold, and the will of these young people to work together to get things moving. "Everything we can do to get young people to come together and create something or undertake something together helps to make Europe a practical vibrant reality."
Berlin, 22.05.17: For the eleventh time school students across Germany discussed the EU with politicians. And Angela Merkel was fully involved once more.
The students of the Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule have been exploring Europe in depth for weeks. They presented a number of projects to the Chancellor.
The discussion showed the Chancellor that young people are very much interested in Europe but that they would like to see their wishes and dreams taken into account to a greater extent.
Federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert visited the Theodor-Heuss-Gemeinschaftsschule in Berlin's Moabit district.
Here too students discussed their ideas and wishes regarding the future of Europe, Brexit, Turkey and migration with their visitor.
On board for the first time - deputy government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer in Berlin's Hugo-Gaudig-Schule
The EU Project Day is intended to awaken students' interest in discovering and helping to shape Europe. The Project Day was initiated by the Chancellor herself.
Interested schools can contact the Project Day Contact Point in their own federal state, which will match up schools and visiting politicians.
Nationwide Project Day
Angela Merkel visited the Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule as part of the EU Project Day, which she herself initiated eleven years ago, when Germany held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Since then, every May politicians have visited schools up and down the country – from the Chancellor and Cabinet ministers to state-level politicians and Members of the European Parliament. Germans working for EU institutions in Brussels also visit schools and engage in discussions and debates with students, and give them insights into everyday work in Brussels.
The procedure is simple: interested schools and politicians contact the official EU Project Day contact point in their federal state, which is responsible for matching up politicians and schools for visits. Often, however, there are direct contacts. Schools can order an information package from the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education). Then they can begin to prepare their discussion.