On 9 May 2019, we celebrated Europe Day with 100 primary school children at Kilmurry National School in County Cork. We organised an EU-themed quiz as part of My Big Friendly Guide to the European Union, now known as Key to the EU.
The event received national attention when RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime programme featured it. During the broadcast, reporter Noel Sweeney visited the school to explore how aware Irish children are of the European Union and Ireland’s role within it.
An EU quiz for primary school pupils
Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan, European politics lecturer at University College Cork and co-creator of the programme, created and delivered the quiz. We designed the activity for 3rd and 4th class pupils. Our aim was to encourage children to think about what it means for Ireland to be part of the European Union.
Rather than promoting the EU, the quiz focused on reflection. In particular, it invited pupils to consider the advantages and disadvantages of being a member of a large club made up of many countries. The questions covered EU member states, the single market and the four freedoms of movement.
Learning through experience
To make Europe Day engaging and memorable, we included a blindfolded tasting round. During this activity, pupils tasted foods from across Europe, including Parma ham, feta cheese, croissant, soda bread and marmite. They then tried to identify both the food and its country of origin.
As a result, learning extended beyond the quiz questions. Throughout the activity, children shared what they had discovered. For example, they spoke about the single market, food standards and environmental protection within the EU.
Featured on RTÉ Radio 1
The Europe Day quiz formed part of a six-week teaching and learning programme. Dr Schon-Quinlivan developed this programme with a primary school teacher and piloted it in County Cork and Cork City over the previous two years.
RTÉ Radio 1 highlighted the initiative as one of the few activities in Ireland at the time dedicated to celebrating Europe Day with children. Finally, the day ended with spot prizes awarded throughout the quiz and a top prize for the winning team.
Today, this work continues under the name Key to the EU. We remain committed to helping young people develop a better understanding of the European Union through education, discussion and interactive learning.
