WE DON'T NEED NO EU EDUCATION: STOP EU PROPAGANDA IN SCHOOLS

TARGETING OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE RESISTANCE IS WEAKEST

The EU's SOCRATES programme has decreed that there shall be a 'European education project from nursery school to higher education'. The message of the European Commission's White Paper 'Towards the Learning Society' from 1995 was to get the support of young people for the 'European project'. Targeting of young people is, in the words of former European Commissioner Willy De Clerq 'strategically judicious to act where resistance is weakest'.

The EU's 'European Yeat of Lifelong Learning' conferences are outlining the pro-EU agenda ro teachers and school governors. The EU wants the EU to permeate all subjects, and to make sure that the EU is mentioned whatever subject is taught. Teaching is being made more pro-EU, not to increase understanding and awareness of other cultures, but to force young people into accepting the EU's model of European integration. An MEP is reported as saying that children must be made more knowledgeable about the EU so they 'can educate their parents'. EU citenship roadshows with a bouncy castle are sent into Primary Schools, and 'Passports to Europe' are given to under-10's. A colouring book called 'Lets Draw Europe Together' is intended as a call to school children to commit themselves to achieving European unity. Part one of this book has the title of 'My country: Europe'. It teaches children the important dates in the growth of the EU as they colour in maps of nations. This book also has a picture of an infant with a large EU abnner with a nappy resplendent in the EU logo. There is also an exercise where youngsters can translate a phrase into 10 different languages. You may ask 'what is wrong with learning languages'? A lot when the phrase is 'Europe: our future'. The colouring book has a number of misleading statements about the failed and destructive policies of the EU. It also has a young man knocking down a national frontier sign and erecting a large EU flag.

CREATING FALSE IMPRESSIONS OF THE EU

Children are forced to equate the EU with peace, freedom and European harmony, and to eqaute opposition to the EU with xenophobia and intolerance. In reality to be anti-EU is not to be anti-European; the EU is not Europe; Europe is a continent of over 60 nation states; the EU is an organisation of 15 of those states. The EU is not Europe and many Europeans see the EU as causing great dmamge to the democracy, stability and environment of our continent.

EDUCATION CUTS BECAUSE OF THE EU

These expensive projects aimed at convering young people to the EU are all the more galling condidering the disintegration and cuts in our schools through lack of funding; and the EU is playing a pivotol part in that lack of underfunding. Moves towards European Economic and Monetary Union mean massive cuts in education as the Government seeks to cut spending to meet the economic conditions for entry to a European Union single currency - the euro.

Opposition to the EU is growing all over Europe as people begin to see the destructive effects of its policies on jobs, the environment an democracy. To spend taxpayers money on politically indocrinating young people into supporting this process is unlawful and wrong. We should all be able to have a fair and open debate about the EU, and that includes young people, especially young children, who should receive fair and balanced information on the EU.