18. & 19. The General Principles of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill and The Financial Resolution in respect of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:11 pm on 15 December 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Caroline Jones Caroline Jones UKIP 7:11, 15 December 2020

That's recorded.

Teachers have confided in me that they do not have training in this subject, and some would prefer a healthcare professional to teach the subject, because they don't feel equipped to teach it. And I passionately believe that children should be allowed to be children and there is no developmental need to teach sexuality and relationships to young children, and especially, as they've said, the kinds of materials that parents, teachers and psychologists have stated that they believe are coming into the curriculum.

Before we can agree on this Bill, this Senedd and parents in Wales need to see concrete lesson plans for the teaching of both RSE and RVE. And the best way to approach this would be for the Welsh Government to remove RSE and RVE from the curriculum Bill and move these elements to their own Bill. This would allow wider curriculum reform to proceed, and allow greater parental input into both RSE and RVE teaching. And unless the opt-out is restored and the Welsh Government establish a parental panel to review all RVE and RSE lesson plans and materials, I cannot support the legislation. Thank you.