3. Statement by the Minister for Education: Curriculum and Assessment Reform: A White Paper on Proposals for Legislative Change

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:02 pm on 29 January 2019.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 4:02, 29 January 2019

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I will cut my preamble to the question. I briefly wanted, therefore, Minister, if I could, to focus on one of the four purposes that are set out in the proposed structural changes to the curriculum—that of ensuring that our children are ethical, informed citizens and, particularly, that they're knowledgeable about their culture, community and society in the world now and in the past. The objectives of this purpose are clearly laudable, but I'd like to follow on, I think, from the point that Paul Davies made earlier in his contribution, when he was asking the First Minister questions, regarding the lack of knowledge, or even denial, actually, about the Holocaust.

Having just spent the last week reflecting on the Holocaust and genocide and how the conditions for that can be created through ignorance and prejudice, and knowing, as we all do, that populism and intolerance is on the rise, I'd be interested to know what specifically we're likely to see in the new curriculum that will ensure that we do see more tolerant, inclusive and respectful individuals coming out of school, who have a greater understanding of the impact of their words and their actions. I'm sure you'll probably say that this is probably more appropriate for discussion or question once we're talking about the draft curriculum, but I'd still welcome your thoughts at this stage in terms of what specifically we can do within the curriculum to make sure that our children do come out of school with that much more rounded view and values and approach towards their place in society.