STX Social Studies students visited the European Parliament in Strassbourg
“Sometimes people are a bit hard on politicians, but when you see how many they have to agree with… they have a lot to consider.” These words come from Camilla Tønner Hansen, who is in her second year at Grenaa Gymnasium, and she knows what she’s talking about. Together with Elias Philipstatt Dam and her other classmates in the social science program, she has been to Strasbourg and gained a firsthand impression of the work in the European Parliament.
Igennem nåleøjet med en video
It is the European Parliament’s Euroscola that gives, among others, high school students the opportunity to experience how work is done in the parliament. It’s not something you can just sign up for; you have to make an effort.
“It was our social studies teacher who suggested that we try to get selected. So we made a video where we presented climate and biodiversity as problems we think the European Parliament should prioritize working on,” Elias explains. “And we were the only ones from Denmark who got in this time,” he adds.
The day in the European Parliament started with a communal breakfast with the other “parliament members,” who were high school students from other EU countries, and they introduced themselves to each other in groups across countries and schools.
“Later in the day, it was these groups that we worked together in,” Elias explains. “We were tasked with being either for, against, or neutral regarding the issues that were to be discussed in the parliamentary chamber, as the real parliamentarians are also grouped according to who they agree with the most.”
Camilla explains that the topics of the day were women’s rights, artificial intelligence, and climate. So one of the class’s topics was included. “We have had a course on the EU in social studies, and we also prepared on the bus on the way there.”
Camilla and Elias agree that it was a long but exciting day that provided insight into how the European Parliament works and tries to solve problems we share in Europe. Elias is a bit disappointed that it was a bit difficult to get a word in the parliament because there were so many people. “I had my hand up for half an hour but didn’t get to ask my question,” he says.
Fortunately, the weather was with them, and they had time to see a bit of Strasbourg on the three-day trip. A communal dinner at a restaurant and a harbor tour were among the activities before the bus headed home again.
The European Parliament financed 50% of the trip’s costs.
