Education ministers visits Welsh history lesson as he hails ‘exciting’ new national curriculum
The education minister has visited a Welsh history lesson as he hailed an “exciting new era” for education in Wales.
Jeremy Miles was speaking as he visited a Cardiff school to see children learning with the new Curriculum for Wales.
The Curriculum for Wales is replacing the national curriculum which has been in place since the 1980s. The new curriculum has been designed by teachers and educators, working with experts.
Schools will be “empowered” to design their own curriculum, tailored to each individual learner’s needs, while supporting their wellbeing. Subjects are grouped into six Areas of Learning and Experience. Specific subjects will still be taught, but schools can decide to combine them, so learners understand the links between them.
For example, a topic like climate change can be looked at through geography, history and its impact on society.
Great to meet pupils and staff at Ysgol Y Wern @trydarywern to find out how the school has embraced its new curriculum.
The #CurriculumForWales gives teachers flexibility to tailor learning to their students. In this lesson pupils worked together to learn about Welsh history. pic.twitter.com/dIh39EnPVW
— Jeremy Miles (@Addysg_Cymraeg) September 22, 2022
Jeremy Miles visited Ysgol Y Wern in Cardiff to find out how the primary school has begun teaching its new curriculum, speaking to pupils and teachers about their experiences.
“The motivation and commitment of our school workforce to bringing the new curriculum alive is really inspiring,” said Jeremy Miles.
“It’s all about reshaping education to make sure all our young people aspire to learn and to succeed – to give them the best start in school and help us to raise standards.
“Our new curriculum is designed with learners’ progress and wellbeing at its heart. It gives teachers the flexibility to tailor lessons to their students, to challenge and support every learner, so that when pupils leave school or college they have the skills, knowledge and experience to reach their full potential in today’s world.”
New curriculum
All primary schools in Wales have now begun teaching using the new curriculum.
Around half of all secondary schools have also started to teach the new curriculum to Year 7 pupils, with all other secondary schools beginning to teach Year 7 and 8 pupils from next year.
From 2024, the Curriculum for Wales will be rolled out on a year-by-year basis.
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“Education, education, education. ”
Tony Blair got lots of things wrong but in emphasising need for good education he was correct.
I sincerely hope that it is Welsh history and not bits and pieces and not just about the glorious and victorious English kings and queens forming an empire. Let the children know all the facts, and atrocities Wales has suffered over the centuries not forgetting the exploitation and robbery of our minerals and ores.
Have we actually got teachers that know anything about Welsh history or have they only been trained in English history? I went to school between 1953 and 1965 and did not have any Welsh history only English history. Finding true Welsh history is difficult and it seems to have been hidden away.
Try Yr Hen Bost, Blaenau Ffestiniog, wall to wall books on Hanes Cymru…
Aberystwyth do a very good degree in Hanes Cymru, some of their graduates must go on to teach, the same will be true for Bangor. There is a list of Welsh historians as long as your arm one click away…Gwyn A. Williams, John Davies, Kenneth O. Morgan for starters. History was the most boring lesson in high school, my period was 56 to 68 so I know what you mean…
If they don’t know Welsh history they can learn, I would say teachers like all of us can benefit from learning new things. There are plenty of books available