It gives me great pleasure to open this debate on the review of the national curriculum in Wales. The importance of ensuring that every child receives a broad and balanced curriculum lies at the heart of our policy for raising standards in Welsh schools. It is fitting that this, the first curriculum to be presented to the Assembly, is also the first to have been developed in Wales and designed to meet the distinctive characteristics and needs of education in Wales.

The original remit for the review of the national curriculum was issued to the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, ACCAC, in 1997. The key features of that remit were that ACCAC should provide a curriculum that would be more manageable and flexible for teachers, that would reflect the priorities of the ‘Building Excellent Schools Together’ White Paper, prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult and working life and promote progression between key stages and into post-16 education. The other important aspect of the remit issued to ACCAC was that the review should be evolutionary in nature, and build on the best of the curriculum currently in place in Wales. That was intended partly to ensure a degree of continuity for teachers. However, it also reflected the evidence from Estyn, the schools inspectorate, as to the positive impact that a broad and balanced curriculum was having in helping to raise standards in Welsh schools. In light of this evolutionary approach to the present review, I am happy to support the amendment in the names of Jenny Randerson and Gareth Jones. We need to ensure that the curriculum in Wales continues to evolve in line with the educational needs of this country. It will be for the Assembly to consider any future changes.

It is important to appreciate the amount of detailed work with which ACCAC has been engaged subsequently. The programmes of study for the 11 national curriculum subjects, now available on the internet, are the culmination of a long and carefully planned process. Throughout this process ACCAC has been anxious to involve teachers as fully as possible. This contact with teachers was a crucial element of the research that was conducted into the strengths and weaknesses of the existing curriculum. ACCAC then worked with groups of teachers in preparing the revised programmes of study. Teachers were consulted extensively during the statutory consultation that took place following the publication of those programmes of study in May last year. An indication of the thoroughness with which ACCAC approached this task is the enormously positive response that the detailed programmes of study have received.

In addition to ACCAC’s external consultations, I have ensured that the Pre-16 Education Committee was kept fully informed of developments within the review. In October of last year, Brian Connolly, chairman of ACCAC, presented a report on the consultation to the Pre-16 Education Committee. A working group, led by John Marek, and including Jenny Randerson, Jonathan Morgan and Gareth Jones, was set up to scrutinise the proposals and to question ACCAC officials directly. I am pleased to say that the working group was supportive of ACCAC’s work and recommended that I take the necessary steps to bring forward the proposals to Plenary. I hope that John Marek will speak later in this debate. I commend Brian Connolly and all the ACCAC staff who were involved in this work. Schools in Wales will reap the benefits of their careful preparation in years to come.

Given our commitment to evolutionary change, it is not surprising that a number of crucial aspects of the new curriculum remain unchanged. There are still 11 national curriculum subjects in Wales, along with religious education. There has been no change in the distinctive options available in Wales at key stage 4 and we continue to emphasise that every child is entitled to a broad and balanced education.

However, although many aspects of the new curriculum remain the same, there are some important changes. These include greater consistency between the Welsh and English programmes of study, greater flexibility for schools in their choice of modern foreign language provision and the introduction of explicit references to sustainable development in geography. In physical education, a wider range of activities and forms of exercise have been introduced for pupils at key stage 4. Games are no longer compulsory, which creates greater choice for those pupils not motivated by competitive team sports.

ACCAC’s advice did not only cover the detailed content of the 11 national curriculum programmes of study but also gave particular scrutiny to the themes that run across the curriculum, many of which reflect the Assembly’s priorities. They include issues such as equality of opportunity, social inclusion, sustainable development, food and the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the Curriculum Cymreig.

One innovation in the presentation of the new curriculum is the use of symbols to help teachers identify opportunities to develop these themes. The Curriculum Cymreig symbol, for example, highlights all the areas across the curriculum where there are explicit opportunities to develop and apply knowledge of the cultural, economic, environmental, historical and linguistic characteristics of Wales. I have also accepted ACCAC’s advice that they provide further guidance and case studies for schools so that the teaching of the Curriculum Cymreig continues to improve.

The new programmes of study also highlight opportunities for developing pupils’ mastery in the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. The most effective key skills teaching harnesses every opportunity for developing those skills across the curriculum. By highlighting those opportunities more clearly, the new curriculum will reinforce the important work that is already going on in schools to raise standards in those areas.

The cross-cutting themes, on which the new curriculum will perhaps have the greatest impact, are personal and social education and work-related education. ACCAC’s advice includes new frameworks covering each of these areas. The personal and social education framework will provide schools with a common core of PSE for all pupils from the age of five up to 16. It defines the nature and purpose of PSE and identifies, by key stage, the key components of it.

The framework also gives explicit attention to the Assembly’s key policy priorities of promoting equality of opportunity and social inclusion, healthy lifestyles, lifelong learning and sustainable development. In encouraging the delivery of PSE across the curriculum, the Assembly’s priorities will become the priorities of our young people.

I have taken ACCAC’s advice that PSE should be non-statutory for the moment. It is important to give schools the opportunity to take on board the content of the framework in their delivery of PSE, which will be new and different for some schools, especially primary schools. This will also give schools the chance to use the framework across the curriculum, in the ways that I have described, rather than confining it to specific PSE lessons.

However, the important issues covered by PSE—equality of opportunity and better health—means that I will be monitoring closely the teaching of PSE across Wales. I will consider how ACCAC and Estyn can best advise the Assembly when we review the position in two years’ time.

To reflect the importance of education in the economic prosperity of Wales, ACCAC also develops a framework for work-related education for 14 to 19-year-olds. The framework builds on best practice across Wales. It aims to bring greater consistency to work-related education and set it in the context of the national policy and the wider curriculum, outlining its purposes and benefits. It lists the learning outcomes and key learning opportunities for all 14 to 19-year-olds. The framework also provides a basis for reviewing, planning and evaluating work-related education activities within schools.

This framework promotes a shared vision of the best way forward, through collaboration and commitment, for local partnerships and support networks. It is aimed at all interested parties including schools and colleges, training and enterprise councils, education-business partnerships, careers companies and local education authorities. All of these have a part to play in improving provision in this aspect of the curriculum. Once again, I have accepted ACCAC’s advice that the framework should be introduced on a non-statutory basis, but that it should be reviewed in two years’ time.

Food is another important issue, which is reflected by its inclusion in several subjects including the new personal and social education framework. Given its importance in the curriculum in areas such as design and technology, and science and physical education, I have accepted ACCAC’s advice that further guidance for schools should be produced, showing the place of food, including organic food and food safety, within the revised curriculum.

I take seriously the challenge of improving the linguistic abilities of young Welsh people. We propose to increase schools’ flexibility in their provision of modern foreign languages. In addition to this increased flexibility within the curriculum, I was pleased to pledge, last November, my support for the language in action project. The Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research will run the project with the support of the Assembly, ACCAC and Estyn. This support includes Assembly funding of some £100,000 over the next two years. The project aims to promote foreign language capability in Wales and to reverse the decline in the number of pupils opting for modern foreign languages at key stage 4. This project, which encourages the study of modern foreign languages, will ensure that it continues beyond the age of 16. I will monitor closely progress in this area to ensure that lessons learnt from the project can be used across Wales to promote the learning of modern foreign languages.

Further evidence of our commitment to developing modern foreign language teaching in Welsh schools is the introduction of bursaries to encourage more teachers. If our efforts to encourage more pupils to learn languages are to be successful, we will need to ensure that there are well-qualified teachers available to support them. In December, I announced the bursary scheme, which is designed to encourage more language graduates to work and train as teachers. These bursaries of £5,000 will be introduced from September 2000. They will be paid to students who undertake a postgraduate certificate in education course, which will equip them to teach a modern foreign language and enable them to do so. The additional students attracted by this scheme will be qualified to work as teachers in 2001.

Taken together, these changes will produce a curriculum that has more flexibility and allows far greater discretion for teachers to exercise their professional skills, to provide greater clarity through improved drafting and better presentation of content by adopting a more consistent style across all subjects. These programmes of study will be slimmer and simpler and more manageable for teachers, and will open up greater opportunities to develop the basic and key skills of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum.

The curriculum will be published as soon as possible after the Assembly votes on the new legislation. However, ACCAC’s work will not stop there. I have already mentioned some of the specific additional guidance that will be provided. ACCAC will also organise dissemination conferences for teachers and local education authority advisors. These will be on the general changes as well as the two new frameworks—personal and social education and work-related education. Further guidance on the frameworks and other aspects of the revised curriculum will also be provided.

In the local government revenue settlement, we announced that there is scope for an additional £91 million for education, as part of the local authority spending for 2000-01. Discussions about local authority spending needs included the £765,000 that was the Welsh Local Government Association’s assessment of the costs associated with implementing the revised national curriculum for Wales. The additional £91 million will more than cover pay increases and inflation and will allow authorities to meet increased demand and new burdens such as these. Additional provision has also been made within GEST, the grants for educational support and training programme, to ensure that schools can prepare themselves for implementing the revisions in September this year. A total of £7.63 million has been notionally allocated under GEST activity 3 ‘Raising Standards through the Curriculum’ which includes training and other activities to support the introduction of the revised curriculum. As you see, we are making substantial resources available to support schools’ preparations.

We have worked closely with Estyn and ACCAC to ensure that the transition will be as painless as possible for schools and teachers. Many of you wish to add to my comments on the national curriculum review, so I close by thanking all those involved in bringing the review to this point—not only ACCAC and Estyn, but also teachers, local authorities, teaching unions and business organisations. The fact that they had the chance to comment and contribute is testament to our working values of inclusiveness and partnership.

Datganaf ddiddordeb arbennig yn y Gorchymyn sydd yn ymwneud â daearyddiaeth gan i mi fod yn rhannol gyfrifol am ei ysgrifennu. Os bydd unrhyw gŵyn ynglŷn â’i gynnwys byddwch yn gwybod at bwy i ddod.

Yr wyf yn falch o’r cyfle i ymateb i’r ddadl ar ganlyniad arolwg y cwricwlwm cenedlaethol. Mae’r cynnig yn ein gwahodd i groesawu adolygiad cyntaf y cwricwlwm cenedlaethol a oedd yn benodol i Gymru. Mae’n bleser gennyf fi, ar ran Plaid Cymru–The Party of Wales, wneud hynny a chydnabod y gwaith pwysig a gyflawnwyd, nid yn unig gan dîm proffesiynol ACCAC sydd yn chwarae rhan mor allweddol yn natblygiad addysg yng Nghymru, ond hefyd gan yr unigolion hynny, yn athrawon ac athrawesau yn ein hysgolion a’n colegau. Heb eu cyfraniad hwy byddai wedi bod yn amhosibl cyflawni’r adolygiad.

Mae’r adolygiad a’r ymgynghori eang a brwd a fu’n rhan allweddol ohono i’w gydnabod fel campwaith addysgol, gweinyddol a chydweithredol. Cofier hefyd mai ymateb i anghenion ysgolion a’u pryderon ynghylch y cwricwlwm cyfredol o ran pwysau gwaith a’i strwythur anhylaw oedd y prif gymhelliad i ymgymryd â’r adolygiad.

O ganlyniad, mae’r cwricwlwm ar ei newydd wedd yn haeddu derbyniad gwresog a chydnabyddiaeth fel carreg filltir bwysig yn hanes a datblygiad addysg yng Nghymru. Yn aml, yn rhy aml efallai, mae pobl yn barod i feirniadu’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol am beidio â chyflawni. Gadewch i ni a phob aelod o’r cyhoedd a’r cyfryngau sydd yn gwrando y prynhawn yma sylweddoli y bydd y Cynulliad, wrth fabwysiadu’r Gorchmynion hyn, wedi cyflawni un o’r cyraeddiadau pwysicaf a mwyaf pellgyrhaeddol posibl o dan ein trefn lywodraethol newydd.

Am y tro cyntaf erioed bydd gennym gwricwlwm cenedlaethol a fydd wedi ei ddatblygu yng Nghymru ac a fydd yn adlewyrchu anghenion arbennig Cymru. Mae cael cydnabod hynny yn glod i bawb sydd wedi ymwneud â’r fenter, ac mewn ysbryd cynhwysol—clywsom hynny yn gynharach rhwng Peter Law a David Davies—yn rhywbeth y dylem i gyd fel Aelodau o Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ymfalchïo ynddo.

Dau beth sydd yn dylanwadu o ddifrif ar addysg: cyllid a chwricwlwm. Mae’n rhyfedd, o ystyried yr holl newidiadau a wnaed ym myd addysg gan y Ceidwadwyr, er yr holl ddatganoli rheolaeth i lywodraethwyr ysgolion, yr erys dau beth dan reolaeth gadarn ganolog: cyllid a chwricwlwm. Afraid dweud mai gan bwy bynnag sydd yn rheoli’r cyllid a’r cwricwlwm y mae’r grym i ddylanwadu a chreu newid ym myd addysg.

Mae’n anferthol bwysig i ni yng Nghymru fod rheolaeth y cwricwlwm wedi’i datganoli i’r Cynulliad. Mae hynny’n ddweud sylweddol. Mae cael dylanwadu ar gwricwlwm a’i reoli nid yn unig yn fraint, y mae’n gyfrifoldeb aruthrol. Rhaid defnyddio’r grym hwnnw’n ofalus oherwydd hanfod addysg yw profiadau dysgu ein plant, sef y cwricwlwm. Nid oes unrhyw beth yn fwy gwerthfawr na’r profiadau hynny. Y cynnwys a’r dulliau dysgu sydd yn dylanwadu a siapio meddyliau ifanc fel eu bod yn datblygu ac yn cyrraedd yr hyn y dymunem iddynt fod, ond eto gyda’r gobaith a’r bwriad y byddant yn annibynnol ac wedi eu paratoi i wynebu sialensau’r byd a’r dyfodol. Mae’n bwysig cael y cydbwysedd yn iawn.

Gwyddom beth oedd amcanion adolygiad Awdurdod Cymwysterau, Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru, a rhaid cytuno ei fod wedi cyflawni’r amcanion gwreiddiol yn llawn. Mae’n bleser dweud hynny. Y canlyniad yw bod y cwricwlwm newydd yn fwy hylaw ac mae cwtogi wedi digwydd yn ôl y galw. Mae’r compendiwm cynradd yn sicr o fod yn gaffaeliad i’n hathrawon yn y sector cynradd. Mae’n datrys y broblem o’r holl ddogfennau a ddefnyddir ar hyn o bryd, sydd yn ddryslyd a dweud y lleiaf. Yr wyf yn sicr y bydd athrawon yn croesawu’r compendiwm cynradd yn frwd ac mae ACCAC i’w longyfarch am gyflawni gwelliant a chymorth sylweddol i’r athrawon yn eu gwaith o ddydd i ddydd. Yn yr un modd, bydd y fformat a’r strwythur cyffredin ar gyfer yr holl Orchmynion yn helpu ysgolion i gynllunio ar draws y cwricwlwm.

Rhaid cydnabod bod pryder am un neu ddau agwedd ar y cwricwlwm newydd wedi’i gofnodi yn ddiweddar, er enghraifft technoleg bwyd a’r amser a ddyrennir i addysg gorfforol, er y gallem ddadlau bod rheoli amser yn fater uniongyrchol i’r ysgol. Cyn belled ag y mae technoleg bwyd yn y cwestiwn, yr wyf yn sicr y bydd y canllawiau a ddarperir gan ACCAC, y cyfeiriodd yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg a Phlant atynt ac a fydd yn cael eu cylchredeg i’r ysgolion, yn tanlinellu pwysigrwydd academaidd y pwnc o ran maetheg a hybu iechyd yr unigolyn. Yr wyf hefyd yn sicr y byddant yn rhoi arweiniad i ysgolion ar y modd y gellir defnyddio’r cwricwlwm newydd i gyflwyno technoleg bwyd yn effeithiol ac yn berthnasol, yn enwedig yng Nghymru lle mae amddifadedd a thlodi yn dwysáu’r broblem ac yn cyfyngu’r cyfle i ddarparu bwydydd maethlon. Mae hynny yn adlewyrchiad o gyflwr truenus yr economi. Mae’r pryder hwnnw yno a rhaid inni ei gydnabod.

Serch hynny, rhaid cydnabod bod ACCAC wedi llwyddo i roi ystyriaeth ddwys a manwl i nifer o agweddau pwysig, yn enwedig ehangder a chydbwysedd yn y cwricwlwm, dilyniant a pharhad, sgiliau sylfaenol ac allweddol ac elfennau trawsgwricwlaidd. Mae yma syniadau newydd a hyblygrwydd; hynny yw, mae’r canllawiau anstatudol yn rhoi cyfle i ysgolion ac athrawon pwnc ddilyn trywydd sydd yn apelio atynt—‘disgresiwn’ oedd y gair yr oedd Rosemary yn ei ddefnyddio—yn eu bröydd eu hunain. Mae hynny’n bwysig i ni yng Nghymru.

Mae’r gofynion trawsgwricwlaidd megis technoleg gwybodaeth a’r Cwricwlwm Cymreig neu ddatrys problemau yn golygu y bydd pob adran neu bwnc yn cyfrannu at ddatblygu sgiliau’r plentyn. Nid cyfrifoldeb un neu ddau o bynciau mwyach fydd ymwneud â’r sgiliau allweddol hyn. Dylai hyn wneud pob pwnc ac athro yn berthnasol i fyd y disgybl. Gellir dadlau mai yn y modd y bydd yr ysgolion yn ymateb i’r dulliau trawsgwricwlaidd hyn y bydd llwyddiant y dyfodol. Nid gwybodaeth yn unig sydd ei hangen ar ddisgyblion ein hoes ni, ond hefyd deallusrwydd a’r sgiliau i ddefnyddio gwybodaeth.

Mae’r cwricwlwm newydd hwn yn caniatáu i’r ysgol edrych ar y sbectrwm cyfan yn hytrach na gweithio mewn dull darniog neu bynciol. Mae hefyd yn rhoi cyfle i ysgolion addasu eu cynlluniau gwaith i ymgorffori syniadaeth sydd yn newid ac yn dod yn bwysig ac sydd yn haeddu mwy o gydnabyddiaeth. Er enghraifft, mae lle i ymgorffori agweddau ar gyfle cyfartal a datblygiad cynaliadwy yn yr elfennau trawsgwricwlaidd hyn, fel bod pob athro yn yr ysgol yn ymwneud â’r maes ac yn ei ymgorffori yn ethos yr ysgol. Ni allwn bellach ddibynnu ar un neu ddau i fynd i’r afael â’r gwaith pwysig hwn. Mae’n holl bwysig fod yr unigolion yn mynd ati fel tîm i sicrhau bod y materion pwysig hyn yn cael eu mewnoli yn yr ysgolion. Dyna yw’r ethos y dylid ei ddatblygu yn yr ysgol. Ceir lle a chyfle i wneud hynny gyda’r elfennau trawsgwricwlaidd. Mae’r cwricwlwm newydd yn ffordd fwy effeithiol o ddysgu am werthoedd cymdeithasol a chymunedol. Dyna pam y bydd y rhaglen addysg bersonol a chymdeithasol, a fydd yn orfodol ymhen dwy flynedd, yn atgyfnerthu’r dull hwn o addysgu. Gobeithiaf y bydd ein hysgolion yn gweld Cwricwlwm 2000 fel cyfle i dorri tir newydd ac i addasu eu syniadau mewn oes sydd yn newid mor gyflym.

Gwelwn, felly, fod llawer mwy i’r cwricwlwm newydd na chasgliad o bynciau. Mae’n cyfeirio at syniadau pwysig, datblygiad cynaliadwy, datrys problemau, gwneud penderfyniadau, a llu o sgiliau ac agweddau y gall ein hathrawon eu cyflwyno mewn modd cyffrous, dyfeisgar a pherthnasol. Mae’r cyfle ar gael, dim ond i’r ysgolion fanteisio arno. Dylai’r cwricwlwm newydd ddod â chyfnod sefydlog i’n hysgolion. Croesewir hynny fel rhywbeth sydd ei angen ar ein hathrawon. Bydd y cwricwlwm hefyd yn ddigon hyblyg i ysgolion addasu eu cynlluniau gwaith yn ôl anghenion bro neu gymuned ar un llaw, a newidiadau pellgyrhaeddol byd-eang ar y llaw arall.

Cyfeiriaf yn gryno at y gwelliant a gynigir gan Jenny Randerson, ar ran y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, a minnau. O ystyried rhagoriaethau’r cwricwlwm hwn, bydd ei lwyddiant yn dibynnu ar y modd y’i mabwysiedir gan yr athro unigol o fewn tîm yr ysgol. Cyfeiriais at hynny eisoes ac at bwysigrwydd y rhan honno o’r cwricwlwm a’r defnydd ohoni. Nid maes athro unigol yw’r cwricwlwm bellach ond ysgol gyfan. Ceir agweddau sydd yn gofyn am hyfforddiant i’r unigolyn ac i’r ysgol gyfan os ydym am weithredu’r cynigion hyn yn llawn.

Er mwyn sicrhau dilyniant effeithiol rhwng y cyfnodau allweddol, yn enwedig rhwng cyfnodau allweddol 2 a 3 lle na welir y dilyniant gorau mewn rhai dalgylchoedd ar hyn o bryd, bydd rhaid cynnal sesiynau hyfforddi ar y cyd rhwng cynrychiolwyr neu dimau o’r ddau gyfnod allweddol. Dylid pwysleisio mai amhosibl fyddai llwyddo gyda’r amcanion trawsgwricwlaidd oni chynhelir hyfforddiant ysgol gyfan. Bydd paratoi ein hathrawon ar gyfer y dulliau trawsgwricwlaidd hyn yn dibynnu ar fuddsoddiad sylweddol o arian am gyfnod hwy na blwyddyn. Bydd angen cynnal y buddsoddiad am rai blynyddoedd fel bo modd i’n hysgolion ymdopi nid yn unig â’r newidiadau arfaethedig ond hefyd i ymbaratoi ar gyfer pwysau ychwanegol a osodir ar y cwricwlwm yn y dyfodol agos. Mae sicrhau gweithredu’r cynigion hyn yn golygu mwy na hyfforddiant. Mae’n golygu ymrwymiad i ddulliau newydd o addysgu sydd yn gofyn am ein cefnogaeth ariannol i ganiatáu i athrawon fwrw ati o ddifrif gydag un o’r datblygiadau mwyaf cyffrous a gyflawnwyd gan y Cynulliad hyd yn hyn. Erfyniaf arnoch i gefnogi’r gwelliant a’r cynnig sydd gerbron.

I welcome the review on behalf of the Welsh Conservative Party. We feel that ACCAC has conducted itself impeccably. In undertaking the review it kept the Pre-16 Education Committee fully aware of the situation and review process. The Committee has been fully involved and fully briefed. This kind of review and input from an Assembly Committee is testament to the kind of work that Subject Committees can be and are involved in.

We recognise that the curriculum will have to be reviewed. It is an ongoing process, not a settled issue. It will need to be reviewed time and time again. A number of issues must be looked at in some depth. Many issues were raised in the Committee and in the subgroup that examined the review. An issue close to my own heart is information technology. Children and young people must be encouraged to think positively about the use of computers, e-mail and the internet, particularly in the primary sector. Information technology can be used to deliver key subjects such as mathematics, sciences, geography and history. The use of IT will be a crucial factor in the years ahead.

The Committee also highlighted work-related education as being important. In the past, young people would often go out on a work placement, but would not have a meaningful experience within that work placement as one might expect. We must ensure that schools and pupils consider actively the kind of work-related education they wish to undertake. Guidance must be offered to companies that take on students so that they understand their role and to ensure that work-related education is meaningful and that students gain something from it.

The issue of modern foreign languages was also raised in the sub-group and the Committee. Wales has a poor record of learning continental mainland European languages. For many young people, who are and will be travelling, working and living abroad in the future, the use of a second or third language is vital. We need to look closely at how the Assembly can encourage young people to think positively about learning modern foreign languages. We must ensure that key stage 1 and 2 targets are achievable in the long term. Extra targets put pressure on schools. Within the region that I represent, schools sometimes find it difficult to reach those targets. They are often looking for additional resources and support for teaching staff. We welcome Gareth Jones and Jenny Randerson’s amendment calling for extra resources to assist those teachers. We believe passionately in that. The support and resources must be available for those teachers, if we are to deliver the kind of education that we should.

It has been a pleasure to be part of this review. It has been exciting and extensive. It shows how the Assembly’s Subject Committees can have a direct influence on a matter that is extremely important for the future of the nation. On that basis, I offer the Conservative Group’s support to this motion and to the amendment.

In jointly proposing this amendment, we were seeking to raise an issue which has been discussed many times in the Committee. There has been agreement within the Committee on all of the issues on the agenda paper today. However, we intended to put down a marker without throwing the process of the new curriculum’s introduction into chaos. The last thing hard-pressed teachers in schools need is a delay in receiving details of their new national curriculum Orders and a rejection of the scheme. Teachers need every minute of the period between now and September to develop their new schemes of work. I am a governor in a primary and secondary school and I know that those at the sharp end are looking forward to the new curriculum with mixed emotions because of the amount of work that must go into it.

In general, the Liberal Democrats welcome the simplification of the national curriculum and its increased flexibility. As a concept, the national curriculum had a consensus ever since it was introduced, but it was agreed that it was over-prescriptive. Teachers have been weighed down with detail and have had very little flexibility in what they teach. These Orders go some way to correcting that, and, to a certain extent, to reflecting a distinctively Welsh view. This is a balancing act between teachers’ desire for flexibility and their desire to promote their own specialisms. I was a teacher, so I know very well that all teachers think that other teachers should be flexible, but that their own subject is vital. That must be reflected and has been to a large extent in this national curriculum. We are disappointed about some aspects of it.

We approached this issue in an exemplary fashion in the Pre-16 Education Committee, by setting up a sub-committee to look at it in detail. However, we were told that the process was well under way and if we tried to hold it up by making changes, teachers would not thank us. Therefore, we have taken that on board. On balance, the new Orders are much better than the old ones. However, there are concerns, which have been mentioned today. It is right to continue to flag up those concerns, because the Assembly must be in a position to drive the direction of the national curriculum in the future. After all, what is the point of the Assembly if we do not influence education, which is the building block for everything else?

Rosemary announced around £7.5 million of GEST funding. We must ensure that that is genuine money, specifically for this process. We must send out a clear message that teachers must be trained in the new national curriculum and that, for once, the costs will not be dumped on schools to fund from their mainstream budgets. We must also be aware that the forthcoming local government settlement is very poor, despite additional money for schools. Councils cannot be expected to fund training out of the goodness of their hearts and will not do so. Therefore, we must parcel extra money through to schools.

There are key elements of training in the new curriculum, which are needed. Personal and social education has already been referred to—

On that issue, do you share my regret and that of many black and ethnic organisations in Wales that, despite the recommendations that arose from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, there is not a stronger, more explicit reference to and emphasis on the need to develop children’s learning of issues surrounding cultural diversity and racism? Should this not be included at the first possible opportunity?

That is a good point. That issue is brought out more clearly in the English curriculum. The amendment to the motion in the debate that follows this one, refers to the possibility of looking at this issue again and it is intended that personal and social education or citizenship will be looked at within the next year or so. I regret the fact that PSE is not a compulsory part of the curriculum, but the reasons for that were good. Teachers needed training and they were not ready to make this aspect compulsory, so I hope that there will be an opportunity to consider that again. That is one area where we need more training.

Food and nutrition have also been mentioned and there has been a great deal of concern expressed recently about the omission of specific references to food and nutrition in the design and technology curriculum. That is, in many ways, part of the freedom that is being given to teachers to decide their own priorities. In the interests of joined-up government, we discussed social inclusion and health yesterday. You cannot have a well-balanced and healthy society if you do not understand the importance of a good diet and how to achieve it.

The flexibility that we applaud this afternoon can be a problem. I regret that modern foreign languages will still not be compulsory at GCSE level. As Jonathan Morgan mentioned, recent figures illustrate a steep decline in numbers taking modern foreign languages at GCSE, at A-level and at University. Interestingly, the decline exists in England as well as in Wales. We need to take a fundamental look at this whole issue.

We do our young people a great disservice by acquiescing to the British phobia about foreign languages. As someone with a reasonable grasp of French from my youth, who is now grappling with Welsh and finding it difficult—I think it is because I am old—I know that it is easier to learn a language when you are young. Research proves that if you are bilingual you can become trilingual very easily. We have a rare gift in Wales. As a bilingual country, we have a unique opportunity to become trilingual. If the Dutch can do it, so can we.

When parents look at the educational choices for their children, we must stress the many advantages that those children will have should they choose Welsh-medium education. The result of much research in Wales, and in other fully bilingual countries that offer bilingual education, shows that children who have learned a second language at an early age are much more able to take on third and fourth languages. I hope that it will be clear in this new curriculum that a bilingual education is a good education and that it sets children in good stead for the future.

I agree with those remarks. I remind you of a comment made by a German captain of industry who said, ‘I will sell in any language but I will only buy in my own.’ That emphasises that if we are to compete in Europe we must accept the need for better language skills.

The review of the national curriculum is well overdue. It is the result of a different approach in Wales for the first time. It could be better and it could be more distinctively Welsh. It is important that the Assembly takes the lead on further developments and that we act in tune with the wishes and views of parents and teachers. Teachers have been through the mill in the last couple of decades. They have been the subject of constant criticism. They have been told to act as professionals, but professional judgment was largely taken away from them by an over-prescriptive national curriculum. Handled well, this more flexible national curriculum could be the first step towards restoring that professional judgment. I hope that the straitjacket of performance-related pay does not act as a counterweight to that.

This is a tentative start. Schools need more money to deliver the national curriculum. New schemes of work mean new books and equipment. Schools need more money for building repairs. I was in a school last week that is unable to deliver the PE curriculum because it does not have the facilities or buildings for it. As part of a new start, this national curriculum is strongly welcomed by the Liberal Democrats.

I also welcome the proposals and I identify with all that has been said in this serious debate and I support the amendment. To make sense of the debate, members of the public will need more than the statutory instruments. They must have the programmes of study. This is one of the difficulties with this subject. All the meat and explanation is in programmes of study and not in the statutes. However, it is true that the National Assembly for Wales was set up when the process was almost complete.

Jenny Randerson was correct in saying that we did not want to upset a process that was already in train, but we had good oversight and we were assisted by the curriculum authority. The Pre-16 Education Committee considered the matter seriously and appointed a small committee to look at it in detail. The committee realised that it was not a major piece of revision, but that there was wide agreement in Wales that these changes were desired and that the new curriculum should therefore be less prescriptive and more flexible.

There are problems, but they are exemplified well in amendment 1, on finance. There are also problems concerning modern foreign languages. It cannot be right that we do not teach modern foreign languages properly. We have a bad record on that in Wales and we must change that.

Another big difference in the consultation results was the division on teaching Welsh as a second language. As Assembly Members, we should take this out of the political arena. We can do so if we address the question of bilingual education at an early age properly, as Jenny Randerson and Janet Ryder indicated. Committee members should take note of these issues and try to de-politicise them. I am sure that we will then be able to agree.

I will not continue as I do not want to repeat what others have said. If we can, I believe we should finish early today so that we can get to our desks and do some productive work. I welcome these proposals and I hope they are supported unanimously.

John mentioned the status of food education and that is what I will discuss. The Meat and Livestock Commission is the only organisation in the country with a regional network of food technology teachers. It has 11 regional representatives, a full time head office and it has invested £250,000 in classroom resources. The commission argues that objectives for improving food safety and hygiene and raising nutritional understanding can only be achieved by delivering quality food-related education as part of design and technology.

In Ynys Môn, the local health group will target cardiac disease of which there is a high occurrence in that part of Wales. Targeting it in schools, the group will advise pupils on healthy eating coupled with exercise. We should aim for a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The most appropriate place for food-related education is within design and technology, as food technology. Students will then become aware of the versatility of food and the world around them. Knowledge and skills will also develop, enabling children to be of practical use around the home. In turn, children’s understanding of how food gets on the table is vital and can only be ensured if the teaching of food technology is made compulsory. We will achieve good quality teaching if we support teachers who are already trained as food specialists, as reflected in the amendment on food nutrition, which was originally proposed to the motion in the next debate and has now been ruled out of order. I urge the Assembly to consider this issue in its future deliberations.

I must declare an interest, because I was a member of the working party for the personal and social education curriculum. I am delighted to hear the warm words that have been spoken about it. It was the most extraordinarily difficult work. Of all the work I carried out when I was at the Equal Opportunities Commission—and some of it was tough—this was a complex issue with which to get to grips and it is good that it has reached this stage. I feel proud of what we have achieved as a party to bring this process forward and that I was able to contribute at some stage to assess our progress.

I will make some comments about food and PSE. I am pleased to hear from Rosemary Butler that there will be further work on food, because many people have been anxious about this and there are a range of reasons why it is now an enormously important issue for us. It is not just because I have a concern about the number of Little Chefs between here and north Wales—and I would like to see greater diversity—but it is also because we have real considerations about the safety of our food and the introduction of technology. We have had debates on GM food. We also know how critical it is to diet in terms of long-term health and preventing poor health. This morning, I met with many people from the hospitality industry—the people who cater for us—who are concerned about what they consider a significant skills and labour shortage in that industry. Tourism and the expansion of the use of Welsh food are so important to our economic development strategy. Therefore, it is important that we consider how we introduce children to the notion of using food effectively and get them interested and excited in the production of food and in cooking generally, at an early age. I hope that that will be seriously considered in the details of the guidance that will be produced.

I wanted to reassure Kirsty Williams about the PSE curriculum, but she has left the Chamber. However, there was considerable discussion on racism at the meetings that I attended about the integration of equality into the PSE curriculum. Gareth Jones indicated that the PSE curriculum was considered to be something that had to be taken on board by a school as a whole, and not to be taught in small, isolated lessons. Some of it might filter through into lessons, but much of the PSE curriculum was for integration into a range of other subjects. While there is clearly some good practice in Welsh schools, it is incredibly patchy. At the Equal Opportunities Commission a few years ago, we carried out a survey of Welsh schools and found that the momentum to develop equal opportunities had decreased significantly.

The working party approached the work by developing some broad concepts and that is evident. There are several references to the expectations of what pupils will achieve and to the importance of recognising cultural differences. Diversity is included in the curriculum at key stage 1, by learning to value and celebrate cultural difference. It is also included at key stage 2, by valuing cultural diversity and equal opportunity, and key stage 3 concentrates on respect for the dignity of all. The principle was founded on the notion of children and young people learning, as they grow, to accept, recognise and value differences while developing a sense that we are all equal, even if we are different. The practice and detail of how they will learn and understand those lessons will be developed from those values.

Work that is done now to produce teaching materials will be important. I urge Rosemary, who will be sympathetic to this, to ensure that some of the grants for educational and support training are allocated for educating teachers on how to teach equal opportunities and to improve their understanding of the subtle ways in which the differences between women and men make them unequal, or that the differences that make black and white people unequal may be sensed in schools, often without teachers realising it. These subtle ways still include practices such as a teacher saying that the girls are sitting nice and quietly and reading their books while the boys are rowdy, or lining the girls and the boys up separately. I hope that significant resources will be invested to alleviate the lack of understanding about the cultural differences between our communities because it is important that teachers understand the principles of equality in order to integrate them in their work.

The work-related curriculum is important because for the first time it will start to integrate into schools work and an understanding of the work for which we are preparing pupils. That is important for our work on developing enterprise, the entrepreneurship plan, and the idea that we are determined to ensure that people have a sense of the importance of lifelong learning. We are preparing our young people for the world they will live in, and preparing them to use their skills and talents to develop our economy.

I am pleased to hear the comments in this significant debate, particularly about the critical issue of food technology. Many people referred to funding. I always remember that lovely saying: if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. In this debate on the curriculum, we have a chance to bring forward real joined-up thinking that will produce a better economy in Wales. I relate my remarks particularly to food technology. Over the years, there has been a dilution of food technology in the curriculum. I welcome the fact that guidelines will be published shortly. I hope they will concentrate on including food technology in design and technology itself.

I fear that sometimes in education there is a tendency to break down the constituent parts of a discipline and disperse them to various sectors of the curriculum, with loss of focus. We need to encourage a subject like food technology for many reasons, which others have expounded, including health, welfare, social and educational reasons, but particularly for economic reasons. In Wales, the agricultural industry is central to our culture, and it must be joined through education, which teaches people the skills to prepare Welsh food. What better way is there to demonstrate sustainable development? It would sustain an economy through our education system and provide a quality product at the end of the day. Those of you who attended the Welsh Food Alliance conference in Cardiff, including Christine Gwyther, the Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, know that it was an excellent day. Many people indicated the great benefits to Wales of emphasising the need for food technology. I hope that the authorities will have significant funds so that they can match the grants for educational and support training. All too often we leave authorities out on a limb without significant funds to ensure training. Rosemary is shaking her head but I know of one authority that has already said that there is a shortfall and that it is struggling to find ways to match grants for educational and support training. Overall, I welcome this curriculum document but I look forward to significant reviews to demonstrate the often-mentioned flexibility. This is a moving target and the need for reviews will be particularly evident in food technology.

As chairman of the Pre-16 Education Committee, I endorse the splendid work ACCAC has put into this report. It was presented well in the Committee and they answered all our questions extremely well and to the entire satisfaction of the Committee members. That is not always the case. I also place on record my thanks to the working group—we are not allowed sub-committees—which prepared the consideration of the finer points of this document for the Committee. I hope that next time the Assembly itself will commission the national curriculum.

I thank everyone for their interesting contributions. I knew we had one or two professional experts in education; I had not realised that we had so many. The quality of the debate has been exceptional and there are several people who could also have contributed, including Owen John Thomas, another professional teacher, who contributes in committee. I am pleased by the speakers’ support for the motion and by the welcome for the curriculum review. It shows the strength of consensus in the Chamber. To that can be added the positive support shown by schools, teachers, and education advisers across the country.

This curriculum will meet the early challenges of the new century. From September 2000 it will ensure that students in Wales will be prepared for active, responsible lives in the new millennium. As I said, the evolutionary nature of the review means that, apart from the new frameworks, there have not been extensive changes for me to highlight today. Jenny Randerson’s point about ensuring that teachers have the information as soon as possible so that they can deliver in September is well made. However, there is nothing new here. As Jenny knows, this review has been out in public for some time, so that work has already started. It is good that we are not making major changes because teachers and schools have worked hard over the years to deliver the best kind of education possible for our children in Wales.

Inspection evidence and research has shown that the national curriculum delivers a broad and balanced education but that some aspects could be improved. This review delivers those improvements, principally through improving flexibility—which has been stressed this afternoon—and manageability, so that teachers have the right tools to do this important job. Some good points have been made on flexibility and the thining down of the curriculum, to give our excellent teachers space to use their professional skills. That is why this new review is so important.

Gareth Jones spoke exceptionally well. He did not get paid by the Committee for his views on geography, though he may have been paid for them previously. As he said, this is one of the Assembly’s most important and far reaching debates. This is the first time a truly Welsh approach to education is being delivered. He also stressed stability and that is important. Our teachers need stability but the fact that they are also given flexibility is a unique feature of this curriculum. Gareth and Jenny Randerson also mentioned the allocation of money. We are committed to putting an additional £844 million into education over the next three years. There is £7 million for delivering training for the new curriculum and other related issues to ensure that teachers have the tools to deliver next September.

Jonathan Morgan made a good point on information technology. As a young man, he is probably one of the few people here who knows a great deal about IT. The Pre-16 Education Committee is looking closely at IT and how we can deliver on it. We have a large amount of money in our budget for IT in schools. It is important that we deliver the best possible form of IT as soon as possible. The Pre-16 Education Committee, and Huw Lewis in particular, is keen that we move ahead with this.

Everyone is concerned about the drop in the take-up of modern foreign languages. It is being addressed and I hope that the project I mentioned earlier, to which we have allocated a £100,000, will produce serious research that we can put into action quickly.

The purpose of this curriculum is to raise standards. Unless we can raise the standard of our children’s education, then the future of the nation cannot develop as quickly as we would like.

Peter Rogers always makes a good contribution on food and speaks up for his region. I was pleased that John Marek as Chairman of that working group was able to say that there was unanimity among the group on that issue. A number of people made points about food. There has been a co-ordinated and concerted campaign on food. We have had many discussions today and in the Committee reflecting the concerns that some of those groups have expressed to me and other Assembly Members. Food is covered in a number of subjects as well as in the personal and social education framework and we do not take this issue lightly. I am satisfied that the revised curriculum together with the guidance that ACCAC will provide, reflects the importance of food and food safety for all our lives. I take the point that that guidance should be given early. I hope that it will be delivered soon.

You have made the point that I was about to make. I was going to urge you to ensure that the guidance would be early. My understanding was that ACCAC was saying that the guidance could not be delivered before June this year. That would be far too late to aid the timetabling process. I am pleased to hear you say that it will be soon. I hope soon is in the next month or so.

I cannot say when it will be.

June will be too late.

The Chief Executive of ACCAC is sitting behind you.

Will there be opportunities for students and pupils to partake in the practical activity of cooking? The practical activity seems to be a novelty unlike the theoretical aspect. I am talking about the practical skills involved in cooking, like boiling an egg and making toast.

You are obviously a gourmet chef. The beauty of the curriculum is its flexibility, allowing teachers to decide the best way for teaching pupils about food. Although there has been a lot of late information, none of that information is new. The food industry made that information available previously. It took the opportunity of having a second front to get its point across but it was taken on board by ACCAC in the original review. I would not want people to think that we have not taken the food industry’s observations on board. Jenny Randerson indicated that we all like a broad curriculum as long as our area is core. We talk a great deal about cross-cutting in the Assembly. Jane Hutt is introducing a raft of health-related programmes on diet. We have had the healthy schools and the healthy classroom initiatives, which will ensure that people are aware of the importance of food. We say that devolution is not an event, but that it progresses continually. We can say the same about this curriculum. It will be reviewed by the Assembly and we can proceed from there. PSE is voluntary at the moment, but, hopefully, in two years’ time, we will be able to make it compulsory.

I am just interested in the practical activity of cooking.

It is up to the schools how they deliver this as we are not being prescriptive. It is flexible and should be delivered as is best suited to the setting and the local circumstances. We must not be prescriptive—that is the whole point.

Val Feld’s point on racism and anti-racism was well made and she is always eloquent on this. As a member of the Committee on Equality of Opportunity, Val will be aware that they have discussed the Macpherson report. Edwina Hart reported that she has money put aside for implementing that report, and we will talk about the best way to spend that money.

Will Rosemary Butler ensure that her officials are prepared to come to speak to the Committee on Equality of Opportunity about matters relating to the Macpherson report? We had a sub-committee meeting of the Committee on Equality of Opportunity to look precisely at Macpherson issues. There is some question about whether or not some officials in your department have been approached to talk to us on curriculum matters. There appears to be some difficulty. I welcome this opportunity to let you know about that, so that you can follow it up. I will formally contact Jane Hutt, as Chair of the Committee, to request that she mentions this to you more formally, but I thought that this was an opportunity to make you aware of it, so that we do not become too complacent about how we drive forward the Macpherson recommendations.

There is no need for you to wait until a Plenary session to approach me on such an issue.

It was only at lunchtime today that we discussed it. I saw the opportunity to mention it in passing when you referred to it.

I was not aware of a difficulty. I would like to come to the Committee myself when the officials attend, so that I can hear your observations.

One point that has been raised by many speakers, including Jonathan Morgan and Val Feld, is work experience. It is vital that when children partake in work experience, they are not expected to make cups of tea, stick a couple of stamps on envelopes and then post them. It should not be about that. It must have value, and I hope that all Assembly Members will make a commitment to provide work experience for a pupil, perhaps from their own constituency. That would be valuable. We must ensure that we have a worthwhile programme of work for them. I have already committed myself to taking two students, and I hope that you will do the same. That will move things forward and show that we are leading from the front.

Jonathan Morgan made a point that this should be exciting. Gareth Jones said that the new curriculum is vital and I know that Jenny Randerson, although she expressed a few concerns, is behind it. It is good that we have cross-party support.

Today does not mark the end of ACCAC’s work on this revised curriculum. Much work remains to be done, not only by ACCAC but by local education authorities, schools and the teachers and pupils themselves, to ensure that this curriculum continues to work. Someone said earlier that they hope that this curriculum will be implemented well. I have no doubt that, with our highly skilled, professional workforce, it will be implemented well and the children will benefit greatly. We must mark this opportunity and stress that we welcome the work that has gone into this review. We need to record our approval of the changes that have been made and provide all those involved in implementing the review with a positive message for the work ahead. This is only the beginning of the process. It is now up to us to ensure that the funding and training is available and that teachers have the opportunity to put this excellent tool into place.