11/05/2009
More than 120 Scottish primary school children will take up a seat in the Scottish Parliament’s Debating Chamber today as part of a nationwide competition to test their knowledge of European affairs.
At 1pm, a total of 31 teams of Primary 6 pupils from across Scotland, along with teams from Germany and Ireland, will answer questions on topics such as history, culture and sport in the knock-out Euroquiz competition to battle it out for the top trophy.
The annual Euroquiz has been run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) since 1993 and this is the second year the event has been held in the main chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The event is sponsored by Standard Life.
Deputy Presiding Officer Alasdair Morgan MSP will act as quizmaster and chairman, and Minister for Schools and Skills Keith Brown MSP, board director for Standard Life Crawford Gillies, and Chairman of SEET Gerald Wilson will speak at the event.
Deputy Presiding Officer Alasdair Morgan MSP said: “I am delighted to be chairing the final of Euroquiz. With the European elections taking place in just under one month’s time, the Euroquiz presents an excellent opportunity for young people in Scotland to learn more about our European neighbours.”
Barbara Macleod, national organiser with SEET, said: “We estimate that awareness of Europe has increased among 15,000 young people and their families since we began running this event. And we know that teachers have found the Euroquiz to be an excellent source for lesson plans and materials.”
To mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Scottish Parliament, a poster competition on the theme of “Your Hopes and Dreams for Scotland and Europe ” was held for all the schools taking part. The posters had to focus on matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament with representatives from the winning school – Mid Calder Primary School, West Lothian – being invited to the Parliament’s 10th anniversary event on Wednesday 1 July 2009.
Each of the 31 Scottish schools taking part in the quiz has already won their local authority heat and will be competing against the winners of all the other heats in the final.
Notes to Editors: The winning school will be announced through a media release issued by Standard Life (contact details at the end of this release) after the event with details and photographs of the winners. The 31 Scottish primary schools taking part in Euroquiz 2009 are:
- Aberdeen City – St Margaret’s School for Girls
- Aberdeenshire – Portlethen Primary School
- Angus – Muirfield Primary School
- Argyll & Bute – Inveraray Primary School
- Clackmannashire – Tillicoultry Primary School
- Dundee – Rowantree Primary School
- Dumfries and Galloway – Newington Primary School
- East Ayrshire – Nether Robertland Primary School
- East Lothian – St Mary’s RC Primary School
- East Dunbartonshire – Milngavie Primary School
- East Renfrewshire – Netherlee Primary School
- Edinburgh – Erskine Stewart’s Melville Junior School
- Falkirk – Bantaskin Primary School
- Fife – Pitreavie Primary School
- Glasgow – Notre Dame Primary School
- Highlands – Balloch Primary School
- Inverclyde – Kilmacolm Primary School
- Midlothian – St Andrew’s Primary School
- Moray – New Elgin Primary School
- North Ayrshire – West Kilbride Primary School
- North Lanarkshire – St Joseph’s Primary School
- Perth and Kinross – Comrie Primary School
- Renfrewshire – St Charles’ Primary School
- Scottish Borders – Glendinning Primary School
- Shetland – Sandwick Junior School
- South Ayrshire – Alloway Primary School
- South Lanarkshire – Hallside Primary School
- Stirling – Drymen Primary School
- West Dunbartonshire – St Mary’s Primary School
- Western Isles – Lochdar School
- West Lothian – St Joseph’s RC Primary School
Also taking part are Heinrich-von Gagen and Goethe Gymnasium from Frankfurt in Germany and Scoil Na Mainistreach from County Kildare in Ireland.
Last year the Euroquiz was won by Edinburgh Academy Junior School.
The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) is a registered charity established in 1993 which aims to promote and encourage education about Europe to students at schools, colleges and universities throughout Scotland .
The first Euroquiz for Primary 6 pupils was run in Edinburgh and the Lothians in 1993 as a joint event between SEET and the City of Edinburgh Council Education Department.
Standard Life has been working with SEET since 2006 to support Euroquiz as part of their corporate responsibility work in the community. As Standard Life has offices in Frankfurt and Dublin, this year the invitation has been extended to schools in these areas.