Today, the first Eastern Partnership European School opened its doors to 30 students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The start of the academic year was marked with the official inauguration of the European School by EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia.
Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said: “I’m very proud to be in Tbilisi today to open the first Eastern Partnership European School. It is a project close to my heart and marks a new milestone in the EU’s cooperation with its Eastern partners. Offering high quality education to youth is an investment in the future of the students, of their countries, and of our strong and enduring partnership. The school’s opening is also proof of our determination to implement the 20 deliverables for 2020, which are at the heart of the Eastern Partnership and will bring tangible benefits to citizens.”
At the Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2017, all EU Member States and the six Eastern partner countries endorsed the Eastern Partnership European School as a top priority and as part of the commitment to strengthen support to youth and education in the region. The school is one of the 20 deliverables for 2020, endorsed by leaders at the last Summit, and also constitutes part of the wider €340 million support package for youth.
The unique diploma programme offered at the Eastern Partnership European School combines academic excellence with specialised teaching inspired by the European school system. Students aged 16 and 17 will attend classes in a multilingual and multicultural environment to extend and deepen their knowledge about Europe and the European Union. Furthermore, they will have access to a rich extra-curricular programme and have the chance to participate in high-level conferences on EU subjects. The students will graduate with an International Baccalaureate Diploma on European Studies.
