Could 36 million people across Europe die if a fictitious form of TB became a reality? A school in Colchester worked over an entire day to come up with a law to help prevent such a pandemic.

Could 36 million people across Europe die if a fictitious form of TB became a reality? A school in Colchester worked over an entire day to come up with a law to help prevent such a pandemic. Using a new educational resource - Crisis Point - developed by the UK Office of the European Parliament, 130 young students aged 13-14 experienced what it would be like as they took on roles as citizens, MEPs and Commissioners. At the end of the day the law approved would have seen 36 million people die!

On Tuesday 13 July, 130 students from Year 9 of The Gilberd School in Colchester, Essex, spent an entire day working through Crisis Point.  Prepared in advance for the day by teacher Wendy Hildreth, the students worked in five different classrooms assisted by other teachers and students from Colchester 6th Form.  With much good humour and guidance from teachers they undertook the task of working through the three stages of the game.  Stage 1 saw them act out roles as citizens of different member states of the European Union; stage 2 gave them the opportunity to don hats as European Commissioners and finally stage 3 slotted them into roles as MEPs.

At the end of the day each class had produced a law to help prevent the spread of the disease.  Students, representing their class, produced power point presentations to illustrate their chosen law to the other classes in the Assembly Hall.  A final vote was taken to choose the best law.  It was fed into the simulator and  resulted in 36 million people losing their lives to the disease.  Would a different law have seen fewer people die?  Find out by trying the online simulator.

Teacher Wendy Hildreth said: "You have made a very good pack which can be delivered by non-specialists and specialists alike and can be taken at many different levels.  I am hoping that having put in all the work that we can run the same thing next year.  The students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed working through the Crisis Point scenario".