There’s a less expensive way of educating young people on the EU

IN his letter (July 16), Anthony Barnwell says he finds Deputy Seán Sherlock’s suggestion of a transition year course on the EU “condescending and patronising”.

While I wouldn’t go as far as Mr Barnwell, I do have some problems with Deputy Sherlock’s proposal. Firstly the EU institutions are included in the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) syllabus. CSPE is a compulsory Junior Certificate subject covering a range of issues intending to make young people more aware of their social and political rights and responsibilities, including an examination of the EU institutions. A new course specific to the EU would only add to an already heavily loaded timetable for students.

My second problem with the deputy’s suggestion is the proposal to make a school visit to the European Parliament in Brussels part of the curriculum.

Deputy Sherlock suggests that “MEPs devote part of the visitors’ budget to such an undertaking”. It is my understanding that each MEP has a visitors’ budget that covers the cost of 100 visitors per year.

From 2009 Ireland will have 12 MEPs, which means a budget that covers 1,200 visitors per year. Given that more than 27,000 students participated in transition year in 2007/’08, how does Deputy Sherlock suggest that the shortfall in costs would be met?

Does he expect already-stretched parents to pay several hundred euro extra on top of the considerable costs that transition year entails? Perhaps the deputy should look at the ‘Understanding Europe’ project started by Simon Coveney and continued by Colm Burke MEP. This year 29 schools across Munster took part in an information seminar and competition based on the EU, with the winning team receiving a trip to the European Parliament.

The project cost €17,000 to undertake this year, met from Mr Burke’s visitors’ and research budgets. It is an initiative that aims to address the concerns that Deputy Sherlock raises over the lack of understanding of the EU institutions, but one that will not burden students, parents or teachers with an expensive new subject that will undoubtedly become known more for a trip to Brussels than an education on the EU.

Patrick O’Driscoll

13 Glencullen

Duntaheen Road

Fermoy

Co Cork