Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:20 pm on 22 May 2018.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for this important statement. As you're aware, the Children, Young People and Education Committee has recently published our report into the emotional and mental health of children and young people, and a number of themes arising in our wide-ranging inquiry resonate with the key findings of the expert panel. First, that the whole school approach is crucial in reinforcing key messages about well-being, including healthy relationships across the curriculum and in different areas of the school and community. Secondly, what the expert panel said about SRE as a curriculum area being poorly resourced and given low priority in schools, leading to uneven and unequal provision. We heard similar messages about well-being more generally, and our report highlights the once-in-a-generation opportunity provided by the Donaldson reforms to get this right for our children and young people. And finally, we heard that training for teachers is crucial if they're expected to deliver effective support, and attributing equal status to well-being alongside other curriculum areas has a key role to play in this regard.
So, turning to my questions, I heard on the radio this morning that it will still be open to parents at the moment to withdraw their children from these lessons if they want to, and I understand that is the case in the short term. So, it's a bit similar to Llyr's question, really, and I'd like to ask what consideration you've given to children's rights under the UNCRC in enabling that situation to continue. I'd also like if you could outline how pioneer schools will be supported to help develop the approach to this area of the health and well-being area of learning experience within the new curriculum. Thank you.