Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to thank Hannah Blythyn very much for raising this important issue for debate here this afternoon and for taking the time to highlight the excellent practice in her own constituency, and her personal commitment in showing leadership in this issue in the schools from her constituency that visit the Senedd here. And can I add, in my capacity as the Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, that I, too, very much appreciate the education service that is provided by the Commission, both in schools in my own constituency and in the education programme that goes on here? I, too, over the many years I've been here, have been hugely impressed by the quality of provision.

It also, Deputy Presiding Officer, gives me the opportunity to indulge myself just for a moment to reflect on my own journey into politics and to contrast the differing attitudes that I found in my own school. If it was not for the passion that Hannah talked about of my late history and politics teacher, Mr Nick Burree, I would not be here today. He saw something in me, and it ignited in me a passion for public service and politics. This is sharply contrasted with, of course, the head of sixth form who told my poor father when he attended a parents evening, by said teacher, ‘Well, if Kirsty does not stop this politics nonsense, she will amount to nothing in life.’ When I was first elected to the Chamber in 1999, within a matter of days, when I saw an envelope with that handwriting, I knew instantly what it was—I'd seen it in red ink in enough English essays to know—and I was very glad to know that, despite her scepticism, Miss Charles, my English teacher, had sent a note to congratulate me on my election.

Involving young people in the democratic process is important for them and for the whole of society. This is essential for the future of a vibrant democracy. Our commitment to children and young people is enshrined in legislation, and listening to, and investing in, children and young people is central to the Welsh Government’s approach. Children and young people are and must be enabled to continue to be full and active citizens of Wales who have a valuable contribution to make to all of our communities. The current national curriculum supports the teaching of citizenship and provides opportunities that prepare learners for life as global citizens. Specifically, citizenship lies within personal and social education, as we’ve just heard, and education for sustainable development and global citizenship—something, perhaps, that some of our UKIP colleagues could enjoy, having listened to the debate recently about our ability to contribute to climate change remission. It’s also a key component of the new and more rigorous Welsh baccalaureate that was introduced in 2015.

Personal and social education forms part of the statutory basic curriculum for all pupils aged seven to 16 at maintained schools, and issues regarding citizenship are delivered by schools through the active citizenship theme of the PSE framework. It gives learners the opportunity to develop their knowledge of politics, employment and their rights in a democratic society, which reflects the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Learners are encouraged to be members of their community and can be helped to play a meaningful and active part in them. Furthermore, education for sustainable development and global citizenship gives learners at all stages of their education an understanding of the impact of their choices on other people, the economy and the environment, and aims to challenge learners to see how they can contribute to the lives of others. Not only is it embedded in the school curriculum, it is an integral component of the foundation phase for our youngest pupils.

The Global Citizenship Challenge of the reformed Welsh bacc also contributes to developing the skills, attributes and knowledge that will create global citizens with an understanding of the world and the place of Wales within it. Along with the knowledge and values that they gain from learning about global issues and political factors, learners develop skills that will give them the ability and confidence to be proactive in making a positive difference in the world.

Looking ahead to the future, in his ‘Successful Futures’ report, Professor Donaldson set out what a successful young person leaving statutory education would look like. His report identifies four purposes of the curriculum in Wales, one of which is ensuring that learners are, and I quote,

‘ethical, informed citizens…who understand and exercise their human and democratic responsibilities and rights’.

This places citizenship right at the heart of the curriculum.

The design of the new curriculum is being taken forward by a network of pioneer schools and other experts. They are working together as a national network of schools to co-design, consult, inform, support and build capacities in schools across Wales, working in an all-Wales partnership with Welsh Government, Estyn, higher education, business and other key partners. The working groups were established in January of this year, and work has begun to develop the six high-level areas of learning and experience, otherwise known as the AOLEs. These groups are working on the more detailed development of each AOLE, including humanities, which is where politics will sit. During the development process, the pioneer schools will check and review emerging models to test and share ideas and gather feedback. There will also be more formal opportunities for key stakeholders to comment on proposals in relation to the new curriculum by way of surveys or consultation at strategic points during the development.

We’re clear that the participation of children and young people will continue to be key in the development and the delivery of our legislation and our policies and programmes. It is only right that we continue to ensure that children and young people have an active voice in the workings of this Government. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children and young people have the right to a voice in decisions that affect them, and the Welsh Government remains staunchly committed to protecting that right.

We also fund a national model, Young Wales, to enable these voices to be heard. Young Wales is a collaborative enterprise bringing together six children and youth organisations across Wales, the main partner being an umbrella body for children’s organisations within the voluntary sector and a centre of excellence for children’s rights. Young Wales reaches out to thousands of children and young people across Wales to enable them to have their voices heard and influence the work of the Welsh Government. We will continue to support the development of these innovative participation models and national opportunities for children and young people to participate in decisions affecting them in line with article 12 of the UNCRC, the right to express their views.

This Assembly, unfortunately, does not currently have legislative competence in relation to the electoral franchise, and cannot make changes to the voting age. However, I am pleased that the recent White Paper on reforming local government proposes reforms to elections, including the extension of the voting franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds. This, along with other reforms to improve electoral registration and voting processes, I hope will encourage young people to participate in elections and democracy more widely.

The draft Local Government (Wales) Bill 2015 included proposals to charge local authorities with a duty to develop public participation strategies, enabling local people to engage with the decision-making processes and to have their views taken into account. Our intention is to continue to pursue this policy, and to include within it the need to enable young people to play a full part in that process. The majority of councils in Wales have youth councils or youth cabinets, and some also have youth mayors. Youth cabinets are a valuable tool that can be used to connect with young people locally, and encourage and empower them to actively participate in democratic processes. It is essential to a healthy, democratic nation that everyone is aware of and is able to exercise their legal rights. Hannah also made mention of the important role of school councils, allowing children’s voices to be heard within the institution where they are being educated, and, again, they provide a valuable opportunity for children and young people to have a grounding in the ability to shape their futures, influence and persuade and campaign, and the examples that Hannah gave are some of the best that I’m aware of in the country.

Also, in our charter for youth work, we have said that youth services across Wales must provide opportunities for young people to participate in decision making. Again, we have some fantastic examples of youth organisations giving young people the skills, knowledge and experience to be able to influence decision making within the organisation and within their local area. Again, this supports our commitment to the UNCRC and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in their recommendation that all Governments should have a forum for children’s participation.

Deputy Presiding Officer, again can I thank Hannah for bringing this subject forward? I’m sure you would want to join me in urging all schools to participate in the opportunities that are available to them, either from the National Assembly for Wales or from the Welsh Government. Hannah, thank you very much for bringing this debate forward.