Political and Citizenship Education in Schools

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 7 March 2018.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 1:58, 7 March 2018

Well, indeed, the development of the new curriculum provides a very real opportunity to ensure a broad and balanced education for children and young people across Wales, and I would include in that political and citizenship education. Indeed, as the mother of a 16-year-old myself, who is very anxious to have the opportunity to be able to have a democratic right and cast her vote and is incredibly—sometimes, much to my horror—interested in politics, I think that there is much more that we can do. One of the purposes of our curriculum, as I said, is to have ethical, informed citizens, and to be able to give our young people the skills, for instance, to understand that there will be words on the side of the bus and to interrogate exactly what those might appear to be or appear to promise and to be able to act accordingly, is very welcome.