Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:26 pm on 6 October 2021.
I thank the Member for that important question. As part of the effective delivery of the RSE part of the new curriculum, and as well as the work that schools will be doing to make a reality of the health and well-being area of learning and experience that's an integral part of the curriculum, that requires specialist expertise, time and resources to ensure that the kind of supportive environment that the Member is referring to in his question is available in school for our learners, so that their confidence and their sense of themselves is supported.
In March of this year, as the Member will know, we published statutory guidance for schools on developing the whole-school approach to the well-being of learners and, indeed, in the wider school community. Part of that is about supporting our young people to build resilience through developing trusting relationships in the school environment and beyond, and also to support teachers, so that when they encounter issues that may be beyond their immediate competency, they have the support in order to be able to deal with that. As the Member is aware, there's a piece of work already under way in relation to the extension of eligibility for free school meals. I would be very keen to share with Members in the Senedd our advances in that space in due course.