Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:29 pm on 21 September 2022.
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?