I was really thrilled to be invited to QE Crediton school to present certificates to their new EPAS ambassadors, and unveil their plaque.
EPAS is a European Parliament funded scheme that teaches young people across Europe about EU democracy and how the parliament works.
It’s heartening to see young people in the UK being included in this programme, as the UK is the only non-member country that can join this scheme. After we left the EU the parliament decided it was important to keep UK students involved, so the links with the parliament were maintained. It would be great to see more schools taking part and I hope to encourage more schools in South Devon to capitalise on this offer.
Visiting Strasbourg really brings the learning to life and helps students understand more about the need to build relations and deepen ties with our closest neighbours. Students from QE made two trips to the city and were given the opportunity to speak in a debate in the hemicycle - something that is quite special!
It’s never easy to look back on our last weeks there and talk about the day we sang Auld Lang Syne with our European colleagues. But if these students have anything to do with it, we’ll be back.
Well done QE - great to see a Devon school taking part in this scheme and thanks for the invitation.
