European Committee,

Meeting date: Tuesday, May 21, 2002

Official Report 209KB pdf

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Europe Day (Feedback)

We move on to item 2, which is feedback from Europe day. I think that everyone who participated will agree that it was an excellent day. Hundreds of schoolchildren came through the doors of the Parliament and it was a wonderful exercise for the committee and for the Parliament. I was very pleased with the outcome of the day. I thank all the members who were involved for the time that they gave to the exercise. I also thank the members who came along to the members' debate later in the day, which also went well.

The Scottish Parliament information centre has offered to provide a more detailed paper with analysis of what the children said. It would be useful to take that offer up. A brief analysis of what was said is included in the committee papers today. It was interesting to find out some of the issues that the children thought were important, including cleaner beaches, which is very interesting. We received a reply from a youngster from Airdrie on what Europe means to her, which we have circulated today. It is a thoughtful piece and I would welcome the opportunity to write to her on behalf of the committee to thank her for making that contribution and for taking the time to send her views to the committee.

I will pick up on one of the imaginative suggestions that were made. It was suggested that there should be joint school trips on which schools from different countries go together to another different country. Is there any way of progressing that innovative and clever idea?

I know that in my area—North Ayrshire—a number of schools have such links. One of the secondary schools is linked with a region in Finland and an art school in Pisa. It is amazing how that has encouraged children to develop the curriculum. It is an ordinary secondary school in what could perhaps be described as a deprived area, but children from it can go to an art school in Pisa with children from Helsinki. That has been a tremendous project.

There are many examples of good practice. I wonder whether there is any way in which we could promote such understanding and learning. The committee has a heavy agenda over the next year. I do not know whether it would be possible to invite in a couple of authorities that do such work well, in order to help us promote such projects throughout Scotland. If an area fosters such links, it tends to do so across the board. Primary and secondary schools are involved in my area and there is a full programme of exchanges with other regions in Europe. The exchanges encompass the arts, language and music. Children from my area performed an opera with children from Helsinki. Such projects involve a range of activities, over and above language skills. Those projects are a good way to introduce children to other cultures and to develop their interest in them. Perhaps the clerks could consider the matter.

Could we look for opportunities to extend the excellent work that is done for Scottish schools by the education unit in our Parliament to include youngsters from other parts of the European Union or elsewhere? At this time of year, a lot of kids and school groups are on visits to Scotland. If one could make prior contact with the people who are organising such trips, and get groups of kids from other parts of the European Union who happen to be in Edinburgh to spend an hour in the education unit and perhaps arrange for a Scottish school to be there at the same time, that could be mutually useful and could help to establish contacts.

That is a good idea. I was impressed with the workshops that were organised for the children. It would be great to extend that to children from other countries. I do not know what resources the education unit has, but we should consider that idea and try to promote it if possible. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.