The Speaker of the House of Representative receives Council of Europe Seminar participants

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Hon. Anton Tabone received a group of educators who are in Malta participating at a Seminar organised by the Council of Europe on the theme "Democracy in, for and through Schools" under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. The group comprises participants from member countries of the Council of Europe led by Dr. Mechthilde Fuhrer, administrator of the programme "Education for Democratic Citizenship".

The objective of the Seminar is to raise awareness among teachers, and through them, of pupils and parents, of the importance of democratic practices. The project seeks to respond to the need of member states to reassess the meaning of participative democracy and the status of the citizen in the light of changes brought about by globalisation, European consolidation and technological progress.

The Speaker welcomed the group and commended the initiative whereby teachers and experts discuss means through which schools may be democratised so that students in turn may be become familiar with democratic systems and be able to participate actively in the democratic process of schools through educational exchanges and similar activities. To this end the group was informed about the primary steps of democracy in Malta within the framework of our Constitutional evolution and current parliamentary developments to the present days.

The Speaker replied to questions and elaborated on instances where Malta could be quoted as an example in promoting awareness on vital democratic presence amongst citizens at an early age.