An Atmosphere of European Parliament at Mandoulides Schools

The theater of Mandoulides Schools Cultural and Sports Center was transformed into a European Parliament Plenary hall for a day, when 10th Grade students of eight schools from all over Greece acted as MEP’s and participated in Committees that brought bills to vote, accepted amendments to individual articles, and voted for or against articles and bills.

The Simulation Session of a European Parliament Plenary, which was approved by the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and supported by the European Parliament Office in Greece and the European Commission Representation in Greece, is part of the EP School Ambassadors program and at its launch, 'EP Ambassadors' teachers and students, who successfully participated in the pilot phase of the program in 2016, were presented with awards.

The event was attended and greeted the First Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Tasos Kourakis, MEP Mr. Kostas Chrysogonos and Head of European Parliament Office in Greece Mr. Leonidas Antonakopoulos.

The simulation forms part of the Schools’ effort for continuing and reliable information to the students on European issues. One of the main and essential objectives of a Greek school with a European character and a global orientation is to strengthen the European identity and to forge a national and European conscience for its students. For the European identity to be established, young people need to get into contact and familiarize themselves with the statutory EU institutions that support democracy and its future.

The simulation process consists in the formation of eight committees, one from each school, each of which proposes a bill to the vote and accepts the corresponding amendments to individual articles from the other committees. The objective is, through a fruitful, constructive dialogue and following a vote, the creation of eight bills that will provide solutions to burning issues.

The schools that took part in the simulation were: 3rd General Senior High School of Alexandroupoli, Axion Private School, 11th General Senior High School of Thessaloniki, General Senior High School of Intercultural Education Evosmos Thessaloniki, Mandoulides Schools, Bakogiannis Schools, 3rd General Senior High School of Larisa, Ionian School.

Participating students received the following awards:

Leading MEP Award:
Culture and Education (Ionian School), Kapitsala Aikaterini
Human Rights (General Senior High School of Intercultural Education Evosmos Thessaloniki) Bozoutsidis Paraskevas – Germanos
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (3rd General Senior High School of Alexandroupoli) Triantafyllidou Maria
Women's Rights and Gender Equality (Mandoulides Schools) Hasioti Elisavet
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (Axion Schools) Papatsiaras Nikolaos
Transport and Tourism (Bakogiannis Schools) Gkourgkoulia Artemis
Industry, Research and Energy (11th General Senior High School of Thessaloniki) Frouzakis Arsenios
Employment and Social Affairs (3rd General Senior High School of Larisa), Panagiotopoulou Zacharoula

Best Committee Award:
Transport and Tourism (Bakogiannis Schools)

Award for Best Speaker Proposition:
Transport and Tourism (Bakogiannis Schools) Kalpadaki Aspasia

Award for Best Speaker Opposition:
Transport and Tourism (Bakogiannis Schools) Chondroulis Konstantinos

 

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