If implemented and operated correctly, the new curriculum could provide the skills and confidence required for future generations. The committee's work has been crucial in trying to identify any barriers and any unintended consequences that could arise from the Bill, and the fact that we have drawn up 66 recommendations does demonstrate that our scrutiny did uncover a number of issues that are a cause of concern, and I would like to thank everyone who has assisted us through this process.

One of the key considerations that the Government and the Senedd need to take into account is how we secure a consistent national curriculum across Wales. There is a general desire among young people to learn about the same things. We need details as to how the Government will ensure that individual school curricula will be appropriate, balanced, and will lead to consistency. We also need to be entirely clear that the new curriculum won't lead to widening disparity and disadvantage.

I continue to argue that the Bill itself is inconsistent in terms of what's included on the face of the Bill and what is not on the face of the Bill. I agree with the mandatory elements already there. They are important. But in my view there are two other areas that are just as important, and I agree entirely with the committee that mental health and well-being should be referred to on the face of the Bill, and I look forward to seeing what the Minister will bring forward in that area.

I also believe that the same status should be provided to the story of Wales, the history and stories of Wales in all their diversity, including the histories of BAME communities and people of colour. Specific reference should be made to the story of Wales on the face of the Bill, for the same reasons as the others are included on the face of the Bill: in order to provide prominence to the area and the need for it to be taught; to ensure its value for future generations; so that we don't ignore or avoid issues that may be seen as difficult or ones that teachers don't have sufficient information about.

I will pause on the story of Wales and the need for this to be mandatory. The emphasis on Cynefin, local history, is a great thing, but the national story also needs to have status, and the only way to do that is to include it on the face of the Bill. There are new resources for Welsh history and BAME history in the pipeline, which is excellent, of course, but they must be mandatory. It would be a huge mistake, in my view, not to include one specific unit on the story of Wales as part of the humanities, and the only way to put that right now is to include a specific reference to it on the face of the Bill.

What country would actually omit its own story from its education curriculum? It has to be on the face of the Bill, or there is a risk that some future citizens will be deprived of information about their past. Learning about Wales and its people is central to the process of helping learners to develop an awareness of their national identity, but also about other identities—those that overlap and are multiple and relate to each other. This is crucial to encourage empathy, social awareness and to encourage active citizenship among learners, citizenship that is open-minded and sensitive socially and culturally. I very much hope that I will be able to persuade you on this point as this Bill proceeds through its parliamentary journey.

In turning now to a section of the Bill dealing with the Welsh and English languages, I'm pleased that the Minister is to bring an amendment forward at Stage 2 to deal with the problems arising with the immersion policy. But I do think that there is an opportunity to strengthen other aspects—for example, the language categories of schools and the process of implementing the continuum for the learning of Welsh. I do believe that the Bill needs to be amended to make it a requirement for Welsh Ministers to publish a statutory code for teaching and learning Welsh under the curriculum. I've heard what the Minister has said today, but I will be continuing to pursue that particular point.

Others have already focused on other aspects of the Bill. It is disappointing that the guidance for religion, values and ethics is not available for scrutiny so as to allay fears. The committee also notes that we need to launch a campaign to destroy the myths that have surrounded RSE in the Bill, but the committee was unanimous in the view that this aspect, RSE, should be included as a mandatory part of the Bill.

To conclude, there are many concerns about the implementation of the new curriculum. We must have adequate funding and training to support the process. Without that, and bearing in mind the challenges of COVID, then everything could go awry and none of us wants to see that happening. And, as the Bill proceeds through its parliamentary journey, we do have to think about the implementation as well as what's contained within the Bill.