Over three dozen students from 17 Azorean schools will participating at the regional session of the Youth Parliament addressed at basic education students in the city of Horta on Monday.
 
“Violence in schools” is the theme which participants from schools from São Miguel (6), Terceira (4), Pico (2), São Jorge (2), Faial (1), Graciosa (1) and Corvo (1) will debate at a session taking place at the plenary hall of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores under the watchful eye of dozens of classmates. 

In addition to debating the issue “Violence in schools,” these junior “members of parliament for a day” will also elect the Azorean representatives, who will participate in the national session of the Youth Parliament for Basic Education students on May 2 and 3.

This regional session will count upon the participation of Ribeira Grande, Angra do do Heroísmo, Biscoitos and Mouzinho da Silveira Basic Education Schools; Vila Franca do Campo, Lagoa, Tomás de Borba, Graciosa, Velas, Calheta, Madalena and São Roque do Pico Basic Education and Secondary Schools; and Antero de Quental, Laranjeiras and Manuel de Arriaga Secondary Schools.

The Youth Parliament programme is an initiative of the National Assembly addressed at Basic Education (middle and junior high school) and Secondary School students which culminates in the two national sessions held at the Chamber of Deputies of São Bento Palace.

This initiative is supported by the Government, through the Regional Directorates for Youth and Education and Training, aims to encourage the interest of youngsters in civic and political participation and emphasise the importance of their contribution to the resolution of the issues affecting their present as well as their individual and collective future by making  themselves heard among political bodies.

Disseminating the significance of the parliamentary mandate and the decision-making process of the National and Regional Assemblies and encouraging the development of argumentative skills to defend ideas based on the respect of values such as tolerance and the majority’s will are other goals of the Youth Parliament.

The session dedicated to the theme “What Future for Education?” will be held at the plenary hall of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Simultaneously, the regional phase of the Euroescola project, which will select a regional school to participate in the national session of the contest, will also take place on Tuesday evening. 

Euroescola, which is being held this year under the theme “Education in Europe – an opportunity for all” is a nationwide contest that aims to select the schools that will represent Portugal at the Euroescola session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg where, for a day, youngsters from EU member states will debate European themes.