This year marked the 10th edition of Europe Day at Debreceni Fazekas Mihály High School. The main theme of the event was equal opportunity and creating opportunities, organized by Ildikó Lakatosné Tóth, Andrea Buda, and Orsolya Verdes-Sepely. Support for the event came from the school’s leadership, the Fazekas Foundation, and the Debreceni Fazekas Alumni Foundation.
During this school-wide event, students explored various topics with the help of external speakers: the living conditions of people in deep poverty; Roma culture and the challenges of integration; daily life of people with visual impairments; gender equality in the workplace; and children’s rights, minority rights, and social inclusion within the European Union.
Members of the school’s Debate Club led sensitivity workshops for 16 classes. Through debate games, they examined the opportunities and hardships experienced by different social groups, aiming to develop the students’ empathy.
The European Parliament Liaison Office hosted interactive EU lessons, where students gained a deeper and more practical understanding of the European Union. Class representatives (in teams of four) competed in a quiz about the EU, testing their knowledge with trivia questions, multiple-choice online games, and creative challenges.
The highlight of the day was a community debate organized within the framework of the European Parliament Ambassador School Program. Students, together with experts, discussed the statement: “A person’s fate is determined by where they are born.”
In today’s information society, where social media plays a central role in people’s lives, it is crucial to devote time to developing young people’s emotional intelligence. Skills such as empathy and critical thinking are indispensable across all areas of life. Through Europe Day, students acquired knowledge and insights that will help them pursue their future goals.
