Like every year, EESC members visited secondary schools participating in Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) to help students and teachers prepare for the event. In mid-March EESC member Michael McLoughlin went to Ukraine to meet the students and teachers from Lyceum 49 in Kyiv. Although half of the visit took place in the school basement as bombs and missiles rained on the Ukrainian capital, the spirit of young Ukrainians remained undeterred.

By Michael McLoughlin

Lyceum 49 is a school in central Kyiv very much focussed on the French language and an obvious candidate for participation in Your Europe Your Say. However, it’s possible staff and students had more on their mind than the European Economic and Social Committee on the morning of 16 March. As it happened this morning marked the first missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in about six months following many weekend alerts. Material actually fell on Maidan Square in the centre of the city. 

 The school visit literally began during one of the many air alerts that morning, with students running between the shelter and the classroom. The students, however, were unflappable and actually in good spirits. Starting out in the basement shelter we discussed the possible opportunities for young people in Ukraine in the future, a recurring theme. Naturally the level of political, financial and defence support for Ukraine was a point of interest. 

 After a while we were able to move back to a normal classroom environment, which happened to be adorned with plenty of UK-related material on the walls – it was the day before Saint Patrick’s Day! This actually helped make some visual points about free movement and Schengen. Students naturally wanted to know my views on Ukraine and Kyiv, which were at their best in the spring sunshine. 

 With air raid alerts and attacks in the city centre, it was not a normal day in Ukraine, but unfortunately it wasn’t abnormal either. However, it was a testament to all involved and the spirit of ‘business as usual’ that we had a successful visit and afterwards the city got on with life in the streets, coffee shops and with traders and buskers getting on with life in the same spirit. I would particularly like to thank Alyona Morozova and Oleksandra Balytska for their help and assistance, both of whom, of course, went on to join us for the event in Brussels!