By Martin Banks - 28th September 2011
When you are talking about pushing propaganda at children, that is a little sinister
Emma McClarkin
A UK Conservative MEP has hit out against commission plans which she fears will lead to schoolchildren being "force-fed pro-Brussels propaganda".
She claims the proposals, contained in a report to parliament, could lead to pupils having "compulsory lessons in how to be good Europeans and receiving a biased version of the EU's benefits to society".
The report, by French European People's Party MEP Jean-Marie Cavada, proposes wide-ranging changes to the network of European schools, the educational establishments across Europe set up primarily to educate the children of EU politicians, civil servants and other staff.
It calls for the development of "the European dimension in education" and argues that the European schools must foster European integration.
It also asks that the European schools be promoted in Britain and other member states to "encourage the emergence of European citizenship from a very young age".
The report even asks member states to include teaching about the EU in their national syllabuses.
Emma McClarkin, Conservative education spokesman in the parliament, said, "This looks like a licence to force-feed pupils a very one-sided, starry-eyed version of what the EU is and does for its people.
McClarkin added, "We fear it will be a carte blanche to push the federalist agenda that is so close to the hearts of the Eurocrats. When you are targeting youngsters and their education, that amounts to political interference.
"When you are talking about pushing propaganda at children, that is a little sinister.
"The setting of education policy should remain firmly within the hands of member states. This is just another example of the EU infringing member state subsidiarity.
"What children need to know about Europe is that there is a range of views on the EU. As well as supporters of the European project, there are many political parties across the continent which see it as costly, inefficient, bureaucratic and self-serving.
"It can bring benefits, but it also needs keeping in check. Somehow I doubt whether those aspects are in this report's grand plan."
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