Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 1:49 pm on 5 June 2019.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 1:49, 5 June 2019

Well, can I thank the Member for her personal and, indeed, her party's support for the inclusion of RSE in the curriculum and putting it on a statutory basis? I'm very grateful for that. I think we both understand why that is really important.

You'll be aware that in the original document, 'Successful Futures', by Graham Donaldson, he made some specific recommendations on why some things should be explicit on the face of the Bill. I have added to that RSE in response to the work done by Professor Emma Renold of Cardiff University and the expert group that was created when they were very, very clear about the necessity of putting RSE on the face of the Bill and as a statutory element of the curriculum, given the importance of that subject, and also given the importance that is placed on this subject by young people themselves. We know from the work of the Youth Parliament here that life skills are an important priority for them, and they have been very positive about the inclusion of RSE on the face of the Bill.

The Member asked the question about mental health. Well, she will be very familiar that health and well-being forms one of the six areas of learning and experience within the new curriculum. The inclusion and the focus that has been placed on those topics and that area of learning again is very welcome and puts us in a very different place from other education systems nearby us. I will be reflecting, as a result of the consultation on the White Paper, on how we will, through legislation, be able to make good on my desire to have a broad and balanced curriculum and to ensure that all six AoLEs and the 'what matters' statements that lie beneath them are adequately provided for in individual local school curricula.