Interview of the President of COSEEA
1) Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Christos Kotzagiorgis and I am currently in S7. I first joined ESH back in the summer of 2018 when I was in S3, which means it's been five years since I've been here. I was elected as a student representative towards the end of 2021, and have held the position for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.
At the beginning of 2021, two others joined the PPC while I joined COSEEA (Conseil Supérieur Des Élèves Des Ecoles Accréditées). I served one year at COSEEA before being elected as president for the year 2022-2023.
2) Can you please tell me what exactly is COSEEA?
COSEEA is the student representative body for Accredited European Schools, and it was created in 2018 when it separated from the traditional European school body, known as CoSup (Conseil Supérieur des Élèves).
Initially, COSEEA consisted of four accredited schools, which grew to six until 2020. COSEEA now has 16 schools participating. There are 22 accredited schools in total. We would like to add two more schools to COSEEA, but it's proving difficult to reach them.
Together with CoSup, we organized the EuroNight, which is like a club night in Luxembourg and open to all European school students. It takes place in March, and tickets are limited to approximately 1200 to 1500 students.
In addition to organizing events, COSEEA has a seat at the Joint Teaching Committee (JTC), which is made up of teachers, management directors, deputy directors, students, parents, and delegations from each country. COSEEA participates in two meetings per year in Brussels, where we can share our opinions, although we don't have the power to vote. I believe it's essential for students to have a say in these matters.
We also use our Instagram page to inform other schools and students about our baccalaureate and other updates. If there are any issues regarding the European baccalaureate, COSEEA can submit official complaints to CoSup.
Overall, we have three city meetings (including online meetings for project updates), which change each year. This year's cities were Strasbourg, Brussels, and The Hague, with The Hague meeting taking place on May 20th here at ESH.
One of the projects we've been working on is a student charter (that can be applied to all Accredited European Schools) outlining the roles and responsibilities related to grading, the baccalaureate, and homework, in line with European regulations.
3) Can you please tell me ESH’s role in COSEEA?
At ESH, we typically have three or four student representatives, some of whom participate in SPC (Secondary Participation Council) and some in COSEEA. ESH joined COSEEA in 2020 and since everything was online due to the pandemic, our first in-person meeting was held in November 2021. It was then that we realized that we would need two student representatives for this year, with myself serving as president of COSEEA and the other two students serving as student representatives.
4) What is your role?
This month of May, we hold a general meeting where each member gives updates about their respective schools. We cover topics such as public relations, social media updates, and plans to recruit new schools. We also discuss various Euro events such as Euro Summer, Euro Sports, and Euro Nights. In addition, we are currently in the initial stages of reaching out to our alumni and establishing contact with them.
5) What are the impressions of the other school of ESH?
Although they haven’t yet seen the building, from what they’ve heard, they are already impressed with ESH (especially with our language sections). They are eagerly looking forward to visiting the school in May.
6) Any tips for the future student representative and President of COSEEA?
For the Student Representative position at ESH, it's important to take time to understand the various roles and responsibilities involved, and to know which individuals to approach for different matters. Additionally, building relationships with key people is crucial, as you will need to frequently visit them. Keeping a close eye on your email inbox is also a must. Being direct, proactive, and engaging with as many students as possible is highly encouraged.
For the President of COSEEA position, being proactive and staying on top of everything is essential, as the organization is entirely student-led. Understanding the various terminologies used is important, and you will need to invest significant effort to achieve results. Make sure to regularly check your emails and prioritize the PR aspect of your role.