Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I formally move the motion.

I would like to begin by thanking the Chairs and members of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, and the Finance Committee, as well as other Members who have contributed to the scrutiny of this historic Bill. Thank you also to the Commission staff for their conscientious and diligent work, as well as the unstinting counsel and exemplary efforts of my officials and others across Government. They have gone above and beyond in maintaining their, and my, optimism in delivering on behalf of pupils, parents, teachers and our whole education system during these challenging months.

In the spirit of what I have called 'our national mission' over the last five years, I'm also grateful to all of those across the country who have helped shape the Bill and associated guidance. It is not the easiest journey when Governments pursue radical reform and do it through co-construction, co-operation and collective effort. It might—indeed, it probably would—have been simpler to cook up plans in Cathays Park in a back office and issue a 'take it or leave it' offer. But our combined efforts with teachers, academics, parents, and many organisations here and abroad is worth so much more because of that 'national mission' spirit.

Presiding Officer, as you know, I'm a student of American history, and John F. Kennedy, during a challenging time of his presidency, said:

'Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today—which may well be with us for decades to come—compels us to invest in our nation's future, to consider and meet our obligations to our children and the numberless generations that will follow.'

Llywydd, it has been a year full of perils, but we have maintained our focus and our commitment to investing in Wales's future and meeting our obligations as a Government and as a Parliament. It has taken a great deal of time and effort to get to this point. It may have taken several years, but now we have this historic and innovative Bill, made in Wales for Wales, which will reform and effectively deliver on the purpose and vision of the curriculum. I am really proud to be a Minister to have got to this point, but, equally, I am a proud parliamentarian. I have sought to view this Bill's Senedd journey through not only a Government's perspective, but through my eyes as a long-time Member of the opposite side. I hope that colleagues have valued the creative tension, the consideration of big ideas and, yes, the compromises along the way, because I certainly have.

In particular, the constructive challenge offered by the CYPE committee has given us a better and bolder piece of legislation. Each Member and each party has made their contribution, and our pooled efforts and our shared purpose has shown this Parliament at its very best. It may not have been possible, that genuine challenge and co-operation, without the drive and determination of the committee Chair. Lynne, we are both Members of the class of 1999 and I may be graduating this year, but it is my firm belief that you still have much more to contribute to reforming education and, in particular, promoting good mental health and well-being support for all. 

One of the core principles of the Bill is to reduce prescription in the curriculum, and to allow our teachers and other education practitioners the freedom to make decisions around teaching and learning that are appropriate for their learners, but within a national framework. The focus of the Curriculum for Wales is on enabling children and young people to fulfil the aspirations set out in our four purposes. The Bill will support this by providing a framework for a broad and balanced curriculum, based on promoting children's rights and putting learners' mental health at the forefront of implementation. Another key aspect is to support the improved teaching and learning of the Welsh language, and, indeed, other languages, in all schools and settings. 

Llywydd, in delivering on our national mission over these years, I have often invoked the great Welsh educationalist and progressive Elizabeth Phillips Hughes. She was the only woman on the committee that drafted the University of Wales's original charter, and she was the first principal of the Cambridge teacher college for women. In a pamphlet of 1884 arguing for co-education and the promotion of women's education, and the importance of a Welsh dimension to our education system, she said that 'education must be national, and it must be in our own hands'. Today is a day where we can say that we are delivering on that promise, because of our own Government, and because of our own Parliament. The education of the future is truly in the hands of our teachers, our schools and our nation.  

This Bill is the product of a shared desire to reform education and improve the life chances and futures for all of our children and young people. If approved today, it will provide for the most significant legislative reform to compulsory education in Wales for decades. I urge Members of our Senedd to support it. Diolch yn fawr.