7. Will the Minister provide an update on relationship teaching in schools? OAQ55087

I am committed to ensuring that all young people receive high-quality relationship and sexuality education. That's why relationship and sexuality education will be a mandatory part of our new curriculum.

The Minister is a massive supporter of the European Convention on Human Rights, and article 2 of protocol 1 says that if the state exercises any functions in relation to education and teaching, it

'shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.'

What she's just said, of course, rides coach and horses through that protocol. This is part of a trend now with the Welsh Government of ignoring the rights of parents and ordinary people. We saw it in relation to the smacking ban as well; both polling and consultation results were overwhelmingly against restricting the role of parents in bringing up their own children. So, is the Minister telling me that one of the great advantages of devolution is that people's opinions can be ignored at a more local level in Cardiff, rather than in London? 

Presiding Officer, the Member is right: this is a rights issue. It is a children's rights issue, and all children have the right to receive education that will keep them safe from harm, that will protect them and will give them the skills and the knowledge that they need to become healthy, confident individuals. And that approach to children's rights lies at the heart of my decision. 

We've just heard from another Member of the importance of coercive control and ensuring that our children and young people know what that looks like, and what to do if it happens to them. It is exactly examples like that that means we have to ensure that all children have the right to receive these lessons going forward. 

Minister, aside from the statutory age ranges that are set out with regard to the five to 16 and the different ages that children will receive sex education, relationship education, I think you're on record previously as saying that there will be a certain amount of credence given to the developmental point of children within that cycle. So, perhaps there is a way, a compromise solution too here, where, on the one hand, yes, you are providing children with the education that you say is their right to receive, but at the same time parents' views and the developmental point at which an individual child is at are also taken into account to make sure that children aren't receiving education that is inappropriate for them particularly at a point in time. 

I want to reassure the Member that it is more than just credence that we're giving to the age appropriateness of lessons in this part of the curriculum. It is absolutely fundamental that these lessons are delivered in an age and developmentally-appropriate way for children. I recognise that there may be some nervousness, concerns and sensitivities in this regard. That's why, as we move towards the implementation of the new curriculum, I have set up an involvement group that has parental representatives on it. That group met for the first time just last week and will provide a really valuable vehicle for us to be able to continue to work with interested parties as we develop guidance in this area, and content in this area, to reassure parents that what we propose that their children learn about is, indeed, age appropriate and is done in a way that is sensitive and is respectful of the fact that children reach levels of maturity at different points.