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MEPs call for compulsory 'EUlessons' in schools
MEPs are calling for school pupils to beforced to take European Union lessons tocounter "lies" about Brussels.
 By Leigh Phillips in Brussels Published: 5:56PM BST 15 Oct 2009Leaders of the centre-right EPP grouping in the European Parliament saythere should be compulsory classes for 14-year-olds in all member states. The calls are being led by Mario David, a Portuguese MEP who was chief of staff to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso when he wasthe country's prime minister.He claimed the controversy surrounding the Lisbon Treaty demonstratedtheir was widespread ignorance of the EU's work."All the debates about the constitution and then the Lisbon Treaty showeda great deal of lying, cheating and mistrust about the EU," he said."In Ireland people were told there was going to be abortion across the EU,that young men would be conscripted into a European Army. This was abunch of lies."Knowing and understanding, from a young age, the principles, theprocedures and the successful history of the European Union, thegenerations of tomorrow will be immune to any distortion of theperception of the role of the EU and will much better embrace theadvantages of this unique project of voluntary sharing of sovereignty."He said the curriculum would initially include a series of five half-dayseminars on the history of the union.It would cover the "Founding Fathers", the different treaties, enlargement,EU functions, the role of the union in the world and "How the EU affectseveryday lives".However, the idea of the seminars was suggested "to soften the idea,"according to Mr David, who was a medical doctor before entering politics."I'm no education specialist. If they want to turn the idea into a full year-long course, so much the better," he added.Mr David said he wanted to get cross-party support for his plans and
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