Sarah Cluckie and Fraser Whyte were congratulated by SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell and local Cllr Tony Buchanan after representing Scotland in a European-wide secondary school essay writing competition.

The two 6th year pupils were invited to visit Brussels for a three day trip between July 7 and 9 to meet with fellow competition winners from schools across the continent.

The trip to Belgium saw the youngsters deliver a presentation about Barrhead High and the town itself to groups from Lithuania, Serbia, Italy, Ireland, Estonia and Romania.

Fraser and Sarah were accompanied by Adam Beaton, a depute head teacher at the school, as they took part in a series of activities during their visit to learn more about the role of young people in Europe.

The pupils were also treated to lunch and dinner, met with elected representatives from across Europe and were given a city centre bus tour of Europe’s political capital.

Barrhead High was nominated to take part in the contest by Mr Maxwell, MSP for West Scotland, and Cllr Buchanan through their work as representatives on the European Committee of the Regions.

The trip certainly made a big impression on the 18-year-olds who are both looking forward to moving on to further education after the summer break.

Sarah, who is starting politics and history at Strathclyde University, didn’t know what to expect when she stepped off the plane at Brussels airport, and she freely admitted to feeling a tinge of anxiety before delivering the Barrhead presentation to pupils, teachers and politicians from all over Europe.

She said: “It was quite intimidating because there were so many people and all eyes were trained on you but once you got up there and got into the swing of things it was a lot easier.

“I didn’t feel too uncomfortable in the end and really enjoyed it.

“The other presentations were brilliant and I really enjoyed the ones that included a video so that you could see for yourself parts of the town and the people from each area.

“The presentations were really well put together and there were a lot of places I’d like to visit one day.

“In our modern studies class we studied British and American politics mainly so we didn’t really look too closely at European politics. I think the trip has been a bit of an eye opener into what actually happens in the European Parliament. Back home we are actually quite ignorant about what goes on.

“We’re so focused on Westminster and Holyrood that we completely forget about Europe a lot of the time.

“I think we should look in more detail at European politics in school because it does effect all of us.” She added: “I was able to vote in Scottish referendum because I was over 16 at that point.

“I’ve always had an interest in politics and to be able to vote in the election was good as they were taking into account the younger generation’s vote.

“With us being here [in Brussels] we’ve seen the impact they can have at home and all over Europe and to think of our country withdrawing from the European Union is a very big thing to be dealing with so we need to look into it in more detail and educate ourselves and the younger generations about what it involves.” Fraser, who is looking forward to starting a social sciences course at college, was equally enthused by the experience and his articulate and measured reflections on where the UK stands in the European political landscape were proof, if it were needed, that younger voters have a grasp on important issues.

He said: “In my mind, I don’t think we should quit Europe because, to me at least, for Scotland and the rest of the UK, I see too many advantages from being a member of the European Union.

“We need them as trading partners and I don’t really believe in the whole ‘Grexit’ idea, or us going into isolation as we don’t have the resources to command power like America. We need Europe and they need us.

“The city itself is absolutely beautiful. Brussels has amazing architecture, the history is interesting, and to see inside the European Parliament building itself was fascinating.

“Usually I’m a bit nervous about public speaking but I think I did reasonably well. I was proud of myself, that I actually managed to go there and speak about my area of Scotland.” He added: “It was a great experience and a great honour to go to the European Parliament as not many people get the chance to go into the chamber.

“I also feel a sense of connectivity as I’ve made a lot of friends with people from the other countries.

“We did the usual social media thing, like adding each other on Facebook, so we can chat later even if we are thousands of miles apart.

“Overall it has been a great experience.” They certainly represented their home town with aplomb and their efforts didn’t go unnoticed by their hosts who were quick to acknowledge just how well they had done.

Mr Maxwell said: “I’d like to congratulate Sarah and Fraser for the excellent job they’ve done representing Barrhead High School as Scotland’s nominees in the essay writing competition.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome them both to Brussels and I was very impressed by the thoughtful presentation they delivered to the committee.

“Over a dozen schools from across Europe took part in this year’s contest and Sarah and Fraser both deserve great credit for their efforts as ambassadors for East Renfrewshire and Scotland.” Cllr Buchanan added: “I’m delighted that Fraser and Sarah have taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about the European Union and see first hand the important work that goes on in Brussels.

“I was very impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm they demonstrated during the competition and they should both be very proud of their accomplishments.

“Fraser and Sarah are a credit to Barrhead High and another great example of the high standards set by pupils at our schools in East Renfrewshire.” Depute head Mr Beaton, who accompanied the pupils on the excursion, was also complimentary towards his charges.

The English teacher said: “I think it must have been quite an unusual thing for them to do and I don’t think either of them would have thought they would have been in a political room like that, with translators and so on.

“I think beforehand they would have had butterflies but I think they did well and got heir point across.

“I liked the fact our presentation said something specific about Barrhead whereas I thought some of the other presentations were very international.

“Sarah and Fraser have left school now and they are going off to college and university so something like that can only help them and make them more confident.” He added: “The question for me is how can we engage young people in what Europe is, and I think it’s really difficult. Because we are part of the United Kingdom we often have that funny relationship with Europe where we perhaps don’t really feel part of it.

“I don’t think our young people travel enough in Europe. It’s a difficult thing to do, it’s increasingly expensive and I think a trip like this can be life-changing because they can meet up with people from different countries who they realise are quite different, in some ways, but also fundamentally the same. That must broaden your expectations and your willingness to think outside the box.”