Things are heating up. It is just over two weeks before the last day of register for the "Motto for Europe" competition and almost 1,500 schools across Europe have entered. Will it be a Dutch, a Swedish or a Portuguese school which will put its mark on Europe forever with its summation of what Europe is?

An Irish school may also be granted this title as nine schools in Ireland have registered so far to come up with a catchphrase for Europe. The organisers in Caen in France admit that this is a small number of entries compared with the several hundred entries by French and Italian schools but they say they expect the Irish schools to put their thinking caps on soon and enter.

The fifth-year French class in Bishopstown Community School in Cork are a very Europe-orientated bunch. They are involved in the Europe Educational Project in which they are setting up a newspaper with schools in Romania, Italy and the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. The Euro, the history of their localities and their school are just some of the topics the panEuropean newspaper will focus on. The school also offers both French and German language to the pupils and through e-mail they have set up contacts with other European schoolchildren.

Fiona Murray is the French teacher at Bishopstown Community School who has taken charge of the class's quest for a Motto for Europe. Brainstorming for Europerelated words was how they set about their task. "They were a bit slow with the first two or three words but then they just kept coming at me," says Murray. "Harmony", "co-operation" and "peace" were the type of words the pupils came up with initially. When 20 or 30 such words had been gleaned they were whittled down to 10 and then the students were sent home to come up with a motto. Four mottos were chosen and then words and phrases were constructed to come up with a snappy, meaningful motto. "Reaching across divisions, our union is our strength" is the final phrase the class came up with.

The Transition Year in St Columba's College in Rathfarnham in Dublin is also a European-aware class. They are involved in the European studies course which involves making connections and doing projects with other European schools. They have linked up with schools in Germany, Denmark and Northern Ireland for an exchange of information on local customs and traditions.

David Sherwood, St Columba's school principal, found out about the competition for a Motto for Europe through the European studies course and he says that the class has learned more about Europe through its efforts to come up with an appropriate motto. The 1,500 word essay, which must accompany the motto, has also been a challenge for students to consider how best the European Union can be summed up.

The first-year English class in Loreto College in Swords in Dublin, because they are younger, don't know so much about Europe, according to their teacher, Brendan Butler. But having entered the Motto for Europe competition they are learning. The competition is being conducted on the Internet.

Schools must register by e-mail and then have their details posted up on the "Motto for Europe" website. Schools in France have been in contact with Loreto College to ask them how their motto-searching is going. Such contact with children elsewhere in Europe, together with essays they have been assigned to do, is giving the Loreto girls a greater appreciation of what Europe is all about.

The fact that the competition is being conducted on computers is a big incentive for the children to get involved, says Butler. He also says the class have been able to work on the motto in during French class - as the motto must be entered in both English and another European language.

The final date for sending in mottos is January 15th. Classes of students between the ages of 10 and 19 may enter their 12-word motto, accompanied by the essay of no more than 1,500 words. A panel of judges from each EU country will select the winning motto, which will be presented to the European Parliament on May 9th. For more information on how to enter the competition go to www.motto-europe.org.