Eager to have a closer look at the new Parliament building a number of EkoSkola students had the opportunity of their life this morning when they came face to face with the country’s policymakers for a lively debate that focused on the Millennium Development Goals.

This is not a first for the EkoSkola programme since for the past eleven consecutive years this has been an annual appointment spanning three legislatures.

The event was organised by Nature Trust (Malta), the local representatives of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) who run the EkoSkola programme, under the auspices of the Office of the Speaker.

HSBC has once again teamed up with EkoSkola for the second consecutive year through its Catch the Drop Campaign in schools.

Knowing full well that the time-bound targets set by world leaders at the turn of the century were about to expire, EkoSkola students raised various concerns about the Millennium Development Goals. Access to safe drinking water, gender equality and empowerment of women and eradication of extreme poverty and hunger were amongst the main topics discussed.

The topics had been identified by the EkoSkola students during the 4th EkoSkola Young People’s Environmental summit held last month. The student’s suggestions on each of these topics were presented in a declaration that was read out by various students during this special sitting.

There were also a number of interventions from various schools highlighting the work being done at school through the EkoSkola sister programmes; YRE ( Young Reporters for the Environment ) and LEAF (Learning About Forests).

The highlight of the session was undoubtedly the motion were once again, the students called on the MPs to endorse their unstinting efforts and urged them to take heed of their suggestions to better the quality of life of children and adults across the world.

The 11th EkoSkola parliamentary sitting was chaired by the Speaker, Dr. Anglu Farrugia and attended by more a number of MPs from both parties. The MPs present were not only overtly impressed with the students’ interventions but also vouched to take heed of their suggestions.

The Eco-Schools programme was launched in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and now mobilises over 14 million students from 58 different countries.

It is locally known as EkoSkola and is locally run by Nature Trust Malta as FEE representatives. The EkoSkola programme includes a total of 108 participating schools from Malta and Gozo, with more than 43,800 students as active participants.

It was first introduced locally in 2002. The initial pilot project was started with the participation of six schools. Since then the number of schools kept increasing, and 57 have managed to acquire the Green Flag – an internationally renowned eco-label for a school’s serious commitment to environmental improvement.

Permalink: The 11th EkoSkola Parliamentary Session held in new Parliament building