Mandoulides Schools’ Cultural and Sports Center amphitheater was transformed for a day into a hall holding the Plenary Session of the European Parliament, as 10th and 11th grade students participated in the roles of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in committees, brought bills to a vote, accepted amendments in individual articles, and voted for and against certain articles and bills.
The Simulation of a Plenary Session of the European Parliament was held with the support of the European Parliament Office in Greece and the European Commission Representation in Greece.
The president of Mandoulides Schools, Mrs. Aikaterini Mantoulidou, the Head of the Office of the European Parliament in Greece, Leonidas Antonakopoulos, and former MEPs Ioannis Gklavakis and Chrysoula Paliadeli addressed their greetings during the event.
This simulation is part of Mandoulides Schools’ effort to continuously and reliably inform students on European issues. One of the basic and essential objectives of a Greek school with a European character and a global orientation is to strengthen the idea of Europe and to forge a national and European identity of its students. For a European identity to exist, contact and familiarization of our youth with the new statutory bodies of the European Union that support democracy and its future is an important prerequisite.
During the simulation process, four committees were set up, to which more than 100 students of the 10th and 11th grade were allocated. Each of these committees proposed a bill to a vote and received the corresponding amendments to individual articles of the other committees. The goal was to pass, following a vote, four bills that provided solutions to burning issues such as human rights, education, environment, and employment, through fruitful and constructive dialogue.
The event was organized, coordinated, and presented by the General Director of Mandoulides Schools, Aspa Hasioti, with the valuable assistance of Mandoulides Schools’ teachers and associates, and was attended by 8th and 9th grade students.
