Questions now from party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Laura Anne Jones.

Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I stood here back in 2021 when I first came to this Senedd, the last Senedd, and whilst on education committee, I came late to the review, but I listened to the evidence and believed the Government when they said they wanted to change relationships and sexuality education, which was desperately needed, for the better. I relayed my own experience of RSE, which, alongside many others', highlighted the real need for change in this area. It was strongly agreed by all that what was delivered needed be factual and, most importantly, age appropriate. I even spoke on the issue of RSE within weeks of my return and, back then, I said

'I was at first...sceptical and uncomfortable with the idea of my 10-year-old son being taught RSE at that sort of level. But having taken the evidence and listened to people throughout the committee process of scrutinising this, I am now comfortable with what my son would potentially be taught.'

Years down the line, it would appear my original concerns have now come to fruition. What we are seeing is children and young people that are being exposed to material that's not age-appropriate and is already having a negative impact and effect on our young people. Perhaps the RSE code is too flexible, Minister, too open to differing delivery and focus per school across Wales. Minister, you have the opportunity to streamline the guidance to protect and educate our children with fact and information that does, as it was originally intended to do, provide our children with the information that they need to navigate their way through confusing times and developing into an adult and all that goes with that. Do you not agree, Minister, that the guidance perhaps is too loose and, to date, is not ensuring that safe, fact-based information as promised to our young people to ensure fulfilling and safe relationships is, in fact, being delivered?

It is very important that young people in Wales are given an education that enables them to navigate the world in which we live and understand the challenges that young people face, which certainly I didn't face when I was at their age, and that is the underlying purpose and effect of the relationships and sexuality education code and guidance. The Member will be very well aware that there is a public debate fomented by many who are keen to share misinformation in relation to the effect of the code and guidance, and I would have hoped that she might have been able to resist the temptation of lending weight to that misleading set of claims.

The code is very clear and, in the way that she said in her question, is very specific about the limitations and restrictions and requirements that apply to the teaching of RSE at different developmental stages. I would invite any Member or indeed any member of the public with an interest in this area to read the code itself, and not to believe some of the claims that are being made about it. It's an area of great sensitivity, and I find it just implausible—. The Member claims that this is already something that she is concerned about. We are two weeks into the introduction of the new curriculum. So, the material that is being talked about by some of the groups that are seeking to misrepresent the position simply is not the product of the Welsh education system, and I hope that she will find a way of distancing herself from those claims.

Minister, I do not marry myself with those comments; I'm talking as a parent myself of a nearly teenager and from what I've heard up and down Wales. Like many parents up and down Wales, I feel tremendously let down so far from what I'm hearing is being delivered on the ground. What is happening, I fear, is having the opposite effect of was intended, and we all wanted the same thing. In fact, there's an adverse effect, seemingly an already damaging effect, on some children in reality, some seeing what is being taught as a joke because it's gone to extremes, ridiculous, and it has increased some bullying. This is what I'm hearing from children.

It's hugely disappointing that the fact-based, appropriate learning that was wanted and needed is not being delivered. Minister, will you commit to reviewing the RSE content that is being taught in Wales and give us an idea of how it's being delivered and what in fact is being delivered as we go through this term? Thank you.

The generic nature of the Member's allegations, the lack of specificity, the broad-brush approach that she's taking to this question are incredibly unhelpful. The curriculum has been taught for a matter of days, actually, in schools, so I would be interested in hearing from her either in the Chamber or separately of the specifics to which she is referring. I think it's incumbent on all of us to be cautious and careful about how we make allegations in this place.

I certainly will not commit to reviewing the code. This code is a code that this Senedd has endorsed, is being rolled out in schools in Wales, is being done so by teachers who are committed to the well-being and welfare of the young people they are teaching, and I stand with them in making sure that those young people have access to a full curriculum designed to keep them safe and healthy.

Minister, I completely agree with you; we do need it to keep children safe and healthy. What is clear is that Stonewall, a once admired and groundbreaking group, clearly has had a stranglehold on advising this Government, which in itself raises concerns when they deem children as young as three to be able to determine themselves as trans. Many groups have raised concerns that children and young people in Wales are being exposed to ideas far beyond their age range at such impressionable ages in their journeys to becoming adults. These were my main concerns originally, but I trust this Government to use this opportunity to expand RSE delivery for good. Maybe we need to revisit giving parents the opt-out if they continue to be concerned over the rest of this term.

And what a let-down it is from the goodwill of the last Senedd and collective want to ensure that it was delivered in a way that it is not confusing for our young people and was appropriate. I feel let down, and I want you to reassure people today, Minister, that if parents want to see what is being taught to their children in each school, that they'll be able to have access to those materials used in classrooms, to allay their fears or to see what is actually going on. And, Minister, if they're not satisfied with that content that their child is receiving, would you let them opt out?

General assertions by the Member doesn't create a new reality on the ground. She asserts that there is confusion; she asserts many things in her contribution today. Let's just look at the evidence in reality here.

The Member is aware that the code already requires schools to engage with parents in relation to the content of the RSE curriculum, and schools are doing that. It's absolutely core to the requirement of the code and guidance that that should happen, as actually is consistent with our approach to the curriculum in general. Schools are on a journey to introducing better informed, age-appropriate RSE across our school system. I want to support them in doing that. They have the benefit of the code, they have the guidance, and they have an increasing amount of resource that enables them and supports them to do that. All schools know that they need to, and do, engage with parents in relation to this issue. That is the best way of making sure that our young people get the education that they need.

Questions now from Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Heledd Fychan. 

Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you, Minister. I'd like to focus on relationships and sexuality education, but from a completely different angle. I'd like to welcome the written statement that you published over the summer regarding misleading allegations with regard to relationships and sexuality education, and it's a cause of regret that the opposition spokesperson has walked out without us having this discussion now.

I know that you have asked the group spreading these misleading allegations to cease sharing this misinformation, and I agree with what you said about this group's aggressive tactics. It frightens me, particularly having seen what happened in Gwynedd, targeted at the member of the cabinet, Beca Brown. Despite this, as you will know, this group is continuing its campaign, with a series of meetings arranged across Wales over the coming weeks. 

I know that steps have already been taken by the Government, but what other steps will the Government be taking to ensure the safety of councillors, local authority staff and teachers, as this element of the new curriculum is rolled out?

The Member makes an important point in the last question. We are working with our partners generally to ensure that accurate information is available and that guidance is available to tackle this. It's very important—and it is a shame that the Conservative spokesperson isn't here to listen to this—it's very important that the public debate in this policy area is undertaken in a responsible manner, based on facts rather than allegations.

I agree with you entirely, Minister, and thank you for that response. It's clear that the group is targeting parents with its campaign of misinformation, and even Members of the Senedd it would appear. I note that the Government has formulated guidance to the curriculum for parents and carers, an excellent document in my view, and one that explains the changes effectively. However, from speaking to a number of parents and carers, I note that very few of them have seen this important resource.

How therefore will you ensure that every parent and carer receives a copy of these leaflets, and how will you support schools in explaining the changes, in case they too are threatened by those who are campaigning against these changes? We must ensure that every child benefits from these changes, but I'm afraid that there will be a reluctance and fear in terms of introducing this subject if this campaign continues.

Well, that's the risk, as the Member set out. That's why it is so important that the debate happens in a factual and measured manner, because there are a number of challenges facing teachers at the moment. We have introduced a new curriculum and we need to ensure that they do get the support that they need in order to do that in a way that can be successful in this area and in all other areas.

We are working with the local authorities and with the consortia to look at what we can do to further support parents in this area. To date, we have ensured that there is a specific playlist available on Hwb, which includes a range of resources in 12 languages in order to ensure that local authorities and schools are supported and to facilitate the work that they're already undertaking to work with parents and the wider community to ensure that everyone understands what's happening on the ground in reality, rather than what's being claimed.