Our school had the great honour and pleasure of taking part in the ‘Long Night of Democracy’ on Friday 2 October.
As part of this event, 10 Year 11 pupils specialising in social sciences had the opportunity to exchange views and discuss the central theme: ‘What is democracy?’
It was a great honour for us to welcome the French Consul-General in the Saarland, Mr Jérôme Spinoza, and the State Secretary, Ms Jessica Heide, to this event; they had also very kindly agreed to act as moderators.
During this one-and-a-half-hour discussion, the pupils were able to express their views and opinions on a range of topics, including: democracy, civil rights, political parties, elections (voter turnout and abstention), political education, the role of social media and influencers, the importance of critical thinking, and so on.
The exchange, conducted in German and French, was very enriching and constructive; the pupils once again impressed us all with their great maturity and thoughtful approach – not to mention their perfect command of both languages. They are true champions of democracy, putting forward very well-founded and carefully considered arguments.
Three Year 9 classes were also present in the theatre room, enabling them to benefit from the skills and knowledge of their older classmates and to find inspiring role models.
Once again, our heartfelt thanks go to the Consul-General, Mr Spinoza, and the State Secretary for their attendance and support. A huge thank you also goes to Ms Nicole Boissier, Director of the Saarbrücken Adult Education Centre, for offering us the opportunity to take part in this wonderful project, which is so important and relevant for all of us, and especially for our young people. Finally, a thousand thanks to the teachers from the Social Sciences Department, Mr Favre and Mr König, who played a key role in preparing the pupils.