Less than three months away from the changeover date, the National Euro Changeover Committee yesterday launched another initiative for students.

NECC chairman Joseph FX Zahra explained the vital role of students and teachers in order to deliver the right message at home. “Students tend to learn faster and providing the right tools to them, will help NECC to reach their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters.

Following the launch of a dedicated interactive website for students and teachers, thousands of people are visiting www.skola.gov.mt/euro on a daily basis. Moreover, the new euro website www.euro.gov.mt has provided additional resources to teachers and trainers which are being used extensively.

Moreover, staff development sessions were held in all government schools and in those non-state schools who requested such information.

Alan Camilleri, NECC Executive Director explained that the NECC is providing continuous support to educational institutions, through the provision of educational tools, information material, and participation in events organised by schools. Mr Camilleri referred to the appointment of Kevin Azzopardi as coordinator of the euro challenge competition. Mr Azzopardi will be responsible to co-ordinate all the logistics of the initiative whilst providing the necessary assistance to schools.

The Euro Challenge has been articulated by the NECC and the Department of Curriculum Management and submitted for funding by the European Commission upon their request.. The euro challenge is open to all secondary school students in Form 3 and 4 during this scholastic year 2007/2008. The concept behind the competition is to allow students to develop an educational booklet, by students and for students, that deals with EMU and the euro in a multi-faceted manner.

Each school can enter up to four teams and each team should consist of four students who should aim at producing an A4 full colour booklet between 12 and 16 pages long. Students are free to decide whether to use Maltese and/or English.

Mr Azzopardi, the euro challenge coordinator, explained that schools will be responsible to choose the best two products which will make it to the final round and forwarded to the panel of judges for review. Submissions of the products developed must reach the NECC by not later than Friday January 18, 2008.

Judging will take place between mid-January and mid-February 2008. The judges are to merit the submitted entries according to presentation style, creativity and use of artistic means of expression, accuracy of information and the demonstration of the team’s ability to make a coherent link between different aspects of Economic and Monetary Union.

All queries or further assistance may be obtained by sending an email to the Coordinator of the event via email address: [email protected]