6. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Relationships and Sexuality Education

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:11 pm on 22 May 2018.

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Photo of Michelle Brown Michelle Brown UKIP 5:11, 22 May 2018

As has been pointed out by others in this Chamber, children develop at different rates. It's not possible to say that simply because most are ready, all are ready. It is also impractical to say that, because a child is age X, they're ready to be taught Y. Parents know their child better than the Cabinet Secretary, her panel of experts and the schools. As the Cabinet Secretary has pointed out, RSE is not just about biology—it's about values, ethics and making informed decisions. As such, it is not for the state to dictate what a child is taught about these matters. I would therefore like to ask whether the new roll-out of relationships and sexuality education will have an opt-out for parents who feel that the curriculum is not appropriate for their child. You've said in your statement that you'll provide professional learning and support for teachers who will be responsible for delivering relationships and sexuality education. I greatly value and admire the job our teachers do—it's a stressful and demanding job. People go into the profession with a passion for exploring and teaching their subject, but the curriculum is already arguably over-burdened and lacks a clear vision on what our education system's priority should be—something that's demonstrated in Wales's worrying Programme for International Student Assessment results. Do you not agree that these measures will further over-burden teachers in an already demanding job, detracting their focus from what truly matters—educating the future generations of Wales? And, as a final question, you've referred in your statement to providing additional funding for this. Where is that funding coming from? Thank you.