A group of 24 sixth formers from Malta, including students from Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School, Naxxar, and De La Salle College, Cottonera, took part in a Euroscuola activity at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The participants were chosen through a competition organised by the European Parliament office in Malta. The winners were divided into teams that were each assigned a theme on which they had to prepare a research document for their day at the European Parliament.

At the start of the visit the students were briefed about the EU and current issues and later split into teams with students from different countries to take part in a ‘Euro Game’. This was an opportunity for the students to socialise with their European counterparts and learn more about their culture, their education system and values.

The students were later split into six other groups, according to the themes researched prior to the event. They discussed the topics researched, after which they had to choose and the best arguments to put forward and present them during a plenary session in the European Parliament’s hemicycle.

At the end of each debate, all students voted, using the electronic voting system used by European Members of Parliament, to determine whether the policies brought forward by the various groups should be adopted.

The last activity was the final of the Euro Game, which was contested by four finalist teams, one of which included Maltese members Mark Cauchi and Matthew Spiteri, who won medals as members of the winning team.

During their visit the students were accompanied by De La Salle College headmaster John Portelli and physics teacher Andre Grech, while the students from Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School were accompanied by teachers Christine Bezzina, Penelope Fitzgerald and Dennis Zarb.