Critical thinking and voting by 3rd grade students /The European Union through the eyes of the younger generation / Open Discussion by OPEK at Latsia Lyceum
19/12/2023
Critical thinking and voting by 3rd grade students
The European Union through the eyes of the younger generation
Open Debate by OPEK at Latsia Lyceum
OPEK – Association for Social Reform, organised an open debate under the title “The European Union through the eyes of the younger generation”, with an active participation of 3rd year students on the 15th of December 2023, at Latsia Lyceum in Nicosia.
The students were encouraged to share their views on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union and the upcoming European Elections happening on the 9th of June 2024.
Latsia Lyceum is an Ambassador School of the European Parliament and participates in many European programmes.
Spontaneous and critical
The debate proved to be extremely interesting because students participated in a spontaneous way by asking questions and taking on roles with critical positions.
What does “European citizen” mean?
Students gave a wide range of answers to the question “what does European citizenship mean to them”. As wide as the benefits young people gain from Cyprus’ membership in the EU: studies, job opportunities, common values, contact with other countries, rights, solidarity from other states, good practices from other states.
What do I expect to change for my future?
In this part of the event, students took on roles in the EU, such as leaders of a Member State and Member of the European Council, Member of the European Parliament, Commissioner, Minister, Member of the Council, technocrat – ambassador to the Permanent Representation, and even Judge, Member of the EU Court of Justice.
During the role-play exercise, one of the students playing the role of a president of a Member State, addressed the issues the national educational system currently faces and how european politics can improve this current state. Other students also contirbuted to the discussion by sharing their views, based on their role – responsibility in the EU institutions, stating among others the following positions:
Share of knowledge and good practices from other educational systems
Strengthening of exchange programmes such as Erasmus
Solidarity between countries to support less developed countries
Exploiting the common interests of developed and less developed countries for investment, development and financial support.
Teaching European history.
Voting and skills
The students of Latsia Lyceum developed conversation, collaboration and problem-solving skills. They touched upon the issue of participation in the European elections, expressing their will to participate in the upcoming elections – those who will have the right to vote by June and the rest in the future.
Regarding participation or abstention, students shared their own views on what criteria there are to vote. They argued that possible reasons for abstention are lack of information, indifference, frustration that politicians are not responsive to problems and the impression that their vote does not count in the final outcome. Nevertheless, students recognised the need to judge on the basis of who or which MEP candidate relates with them the most, and thus is closer to their views. Who really fulfills their commitments and who takes the responsibility to represent Cyprus and deliver a measurable result. Students also agreed to the fact that if they do not vote and abstain, someone else will decide for them.
A group of students from Latsia Lyceum are participating in a pan-European competition in video production, with the objective of addressing a contemporary issue. They chose to focus on the relationship between parents and their children, as well as positive parenting.
Support their work by sharing it with the hashtag #imagineEU
The students agreed to stay in touch with the OPEK “WeTogether” team and to organise Vod-Casts
The event was hosted by Kyriakos Pierides, a Journalist and Trainer.
The event is part of the European project “We – Together” that aims to increase citizen participation in the European public life and the upcoming European Elections
Contact Information:
Latsia Lyceum [email protected] | 22467668
OPEC [email protected] | +35796387498
