SCHOOL exchange visits to York's twin city, Mnster, have been cancelled - in the 40th anniversary year of the cities' partnership.

This year's Easter trip to Germany is not viable financially because insufficient children have applied to go. Organisers suspect that parents may be concerned about children going off abroad on their own.

The news is a disappointment both for the handful of York children who wanted to go, and also the dozens of Mnster schoolchildren who had been hoping to come to England in the summer.

It will be seen as an embarrassment for York at a time when it is pushing its European credentials in the run-up to the Ecofin conference in March.

A few weeks ago, the Oberbrgermeisterin of Mnster, Frau Marion Tns, came to York to mark the 40th anniversary of the twinning arrangement.

York was one of the first UK cities to offer the hand of friendship to Germany after the Second World War.

Colin Hedges, a teacher at Huntington School, said: "We have always been keen to keep it going. I have been involved for 10 years and in its heyday we had 80 to 90 children going over to Mnster.

"I have asked around and can only think that perhaps families are concerned about children going away. There is no lack of demand on the German side."

City of York education officer Peter Rotherham said only 12 children from York wanted to go this year, and at least 20 were needed to make it financially viable.

He said: "It seems to have waned in popularity. We are not embarrassed about it. These things wax and wane. And it is partly because schools have been developing their own links with schools abroad, which is good, that the Mnster scheme has been given less priority."

He said the scheme would be actively promoted next year. "We do believe it is very important. There have long been traditional links with Mnster and students have always enjoyed their trips. It has been very worth while."

He said his counterparts in Mnster were obviously disappointed but were looking forward to the scheme returning next year.

* Were you one of the children on the first exchange visits to Munster? If so, please contact Chris Titley on 01904 653051 ext 371.

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