The European Competition has been run on a permanent basis for fifty years while at the same time further activities were developed as described and the action radius could be extended to all corners of Europe. These facts make it clear that there is a continuous demand for this type of European education initiative. The present structure of Europe at School was defined in 1985/86 by an agreement between the Council of Europe, the Commission of the European Communities, the European Cultural Foundation and the German Committee of the Centre for European Education, combining the stability of governmental cooperation with the flexibility of private management.
European house Skopje is familiar whit the existing of Europe at school project on international level since the founding or the organization. Since then it is in the annual plan of work. First contacts whit Europe at School were made whit the European House Zagreb. Due to the completeness of the situation in Macedonia in the past several years, our priorities were set on different issues, and we had to set Europe at School as a second priority. Since the stabilization of the situation in Macedonia, we realized that we could work more actively on the project this year. European House Skopje was accepted as a Macedonian Preparatory Committee of Europe at School on the 45 th Meeting of the European Committee in Brussels, 8-11 March 2003. Since then the Preparatory Committee is in a closer communication and preparation for introducing the project in Macedonia.
It is the aim of Europe at School to promote European awareness among teachers as well as pupils and students by means of the European dimension in education at all levels. In particular, Europe at School aims at promoting
- a general education for democracy in the respect of different cultures,
- transnational cooperation in the field of European education,
- the mastering of the new information and communication technologies and the readiness for lifelong learning.
Through the contents, structure and methodology of its activities and by integrating European themes of central and current concern into education, Europe at School incites young people to
- become aware of being European citizens, by better understanding other cultures and by improving their knowledge of European cooperation and integration,
- develop a sense of responsibility for shaping their own lives and to make their contribution towards shaping Europe, in a society that is marked by constant evolution and the necessity to react to its continual challenges.
It is important to note that it is not the aim of the Europe at School activities to identify a young 'European elite', but that it seeks to encourage the greatest possible number of young people to explore and work on European themes. Consequently, the awarding of prizes is to be seen as an acknowledgement of the participants' initiatives and commitment to European issues.
