Teachers will take part in the Schools Programme training
Two schools chosen for European Parliament Schools Programme
TWO Tallaght schools have been chosen to take part in the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme training for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The European Parliament in Ireland welcomed teachers from Kingswood Community College and Old Bawn Community School alongside 24 Dublin secondary schools to participate in the EPAS Programme training.
Since 2016, the programme has given students across Europe the opportunity to understand their rights as EU citizens and to learn about the role of the European Parliament.
The programme itself sees teachers adopt the role of ‘Senior Ambassadors’ to guide students on topics related to Europe, while students can become
‘Junior Ambassadors’.
Students are tasked with coming up with creative ways to bring Europe into the classroom, under the supervision of their teachers.
The EPAS programme is especially important this year, as Ireland holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, offering students the perfect opportunity to learn about the European Union.
During the school year, students and teachers will organise events and activities in their schools to raise awareness about democracy in Europe and EU values and will even host their own event to celebrate Europe Day on May 9.
Schools that have successfully completed the programme will be invited by the European Parliament in Ireland to an award ceremony with MEPs in the spring.
Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, Fearghas Ó Béara, said,
“The EPAS programme has been a huge success with secondary school pupils and teachers across Ireland. The programme aims to channel that enthusiasm into tangible community projects, ones which help communicate the crucial role that the European Union plays in national, local and personal life.
Each year I am impressed by the calibre of the projects, and their ingenuity in promoting European values and cultures to new audiences.”
Over the past ten years, the programme has built a network of secondary schools across the European Union, with over 2,000 schools participating and almost 40,000 students named Junior Ambassadors.
The training of Dublin teachers in European affairs provides an opportunity for their school communities to learn about democracy in the European Union, while promoting civic and political education.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
