5. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Holocaust Memorial Day

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:43 pm on 25 January 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 4:43, 25 January 2022

Diolch yn fawr, Samuel Kurtz, and can I say how moving it is to learn more about our new Senedd Members? Thank you very much for the statement today, Samuel, because I mentioned the Holocaust Educational Trust earlier on. I know—it was since 2008 when I was the former education Minister, when we started that funding of the Holocaust Educational Trust—how important it has been to fund that, and to hear from you, your personal statement and testimony of what it's meant for you, going to Auschwitz, learning from the experience and, as you said, reading to us today, reminding us of Elie Wiesel's book, Night. So, thank you very much for being that young ambassador who has come back and influenced us, and we'll always remember that now about you, Sam, in this Senedd.

I think it's important to recognise that, as a result of funding from the Welsh Government since 2008, the Lessons from Auschwitz in person and online project has reached 1,826 students from across Wales, 226 teachers from across Wales, and 41 schools and 142 students participate in the project this year, even through the virtual process and access. The most recent visits actually took place in January 2020, and 162 students and teachers participated, 70 schools across Wales; all of our schools will be involved. I do want to say that this is very important in terms of our new curriculum. This is very much a cross-Government statement today that I'm taking forward. Because in the new curriculum, we're designing it to secure learners' progress towards four purposes, including support for learners to become ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world. That's going to help our learners and young people to grow, like you said, Sam, to recognise that understanding of the complex and diverse nature of societies past and present and to learn through that experience of our support for the Holocaust Educational Trust. We must always, in Wales, look out, learn from history and share it with each other to influence policy and purpose.