UK Government working to ensure children in Wales can receive £12m Queen’s Jubilee book ‘imminently’
The UK Government are working to ensure that children across Wales can “imminently” receive a history book about the Queen’s reign, a Conservative MP has said.
The Welsh Government said last month that the decision on distributing the ‘patriotic’ history book in Wales, which will cost £12m to produce, will be up to Education Minister Jeremy Miles – not the UK Government.
But Monmouth MP David TC Davies, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales said in the House of Commons that they were now working with the Welsh Government on the matter.
He was responding to a question from Conservative Aberconwy MP Robin Millar who said: “The UK Government have funded a book for every schoolchild in the UK to commemorate the platinum jubilee. A bilingual version has been printed for schoolchildren in Wales.
“What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that schoolchildren in Wales and Aberconwy—and even in Ynys Môn—will receive a copy of that book?”
David TC Davies answered: “The UK Government wanted to celebrate the enormous achievement and the enormous commitment to public service that has been made by our monarch, and have produced the book bilingually to ensure that schoolchildren across Wales are able to read bilingually about the contribution made by Her Majesty the Queen.
“I am sure they all look forward eagerly to receiving their copy.
“The UK Government are working with the Welsh Government to ensure that that can happen imminently.”
The UK Government have said that they will send every school child in Wales the “patriotic” book so that they and other children across the UK develop a “collective understanding” about the history of her time on the throne.
The contract awarded to DK books notes that 211,000 copies of a bilingual version of the book will be sent to pupils in 1,290 schools and other educational establishments in Wales.
But the Welsh Government told Nation.Cymru that the decision will rest with them, rather than the UK Government.
“We are not contributing to the cost of these books,” they said. “As Education is devolved in Wales, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language will make a decision on whether the book will be circulated to Welsh Schools once he has seen the final version.”
Cost
The contract agreed with published DK Books includes a clause that the books must be delivered to at least 99.5% of schools in Wales by 11 July 2022.
The book contract says that the supplier will provide a book “written with the aim of being inclusive, patriotic and ‘speaking to all children’ with regard to all regions of the UK”.
“The Jubilee itself will help communicate a narrative about modern Britain and its connections with the rest of the world, through local, community driven events,
including those led by schools, alongside national and Commonwealth events,” the contract says.
“The book will be a key part of this strategic aim, by ensuring that pupils, families, and teachers develop a collective understanding of the Queen’s reign, and by providing children with an appropriate legacy through personal ownership of this high-quality book.”
It adds: “The book shall be inclusive and patriotic, capturing a spirit akin to the London 2012 Olympics.”
The book is set to cost £12 million to produce with around 4.5 million copies sent to schoolchildren in the UK. However, the individual costs of producing a version for Wales and its distribution has been redacted from the document.
A Gaelic language version of the book will also be produced but will not be dual language.
The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne, on 6 February this year.
Celebrations will culminate in a four day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June.
A Platinum Jubilee Celebration on 12th -15th May will also see over 500 horses and 1,000 performers create a 90-minute piece of arena theatre.
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Ooh goodie! My silver jubilee socks are getting somewhat threadbare, I can now donate them to the needy once I get my new platinum pair. Perhaps Johnny Rotten can pen a new song for us to pogo to again. I love the Queen me, but I couldn’t eat a whole one.
I love the Queen me, but I couldn’t eat a whole one.
________
Enough to make you boak, as the Scots would say ….
Hi Sion. As a 11 year old at the silver jubilee street parties, I took my first magic mushroom trip . The experience may have ruined my educational academic achievements over the next few years, but my real education began. where I started to question everything I was being told. This coincided with punk rock which served to politicise me via the likes of the clash, ska ect. I think I lost my silver jubilee socks in the river Taff swimming, so that bit is made up but I’m sure they found a good home. Heddwch/ Peace.
12million couldn’t think of anything better to spend the money on 😡
About time Wales followed other small countries like Belize and Jamaica, tell the Royal parasites they’re not Welcombe here
I don’t believe in burning books but …………………
Last, month the English Department for Education published a guidance document on political impartiality in schools. Nadhim Zarhawi wrote in the foreword:— “Teaching about political issues, the different views people have, and the ways pupils can engage in our democratic society is an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum. It is an important way in which schools support pupils to become active citizens who can form their own views, whilst having an understanding and respect for legitimate differences of opinion.” Further on in the same document:— “Schools should be aware that ‘partisan political views’ are not limited to… Read more »
I will not be giving them out in my classes!
Interesting how 12 million pounds can be found for propaganda….
RETURN TO SENDER
Covid , Ukraine . Energy prices , Environmental Time bomb 💣 and getting secure housing and good work prospects etc etc I guess are the issues for most young folk…..glad to see David Davies is plugged into the real issues for 2922.
Nation.Cymru should launch a competition to find the most creative use for this “book” …
Great idea, I’ll start it off. Growing runner beans ? well here’s a tip. Before planting, rip up the Brit Nat book, place the paper in the bottom of the trench, and water before covering with soil. Beans will thrive on this “compost” as the paper will hold water.
Is it a kindle book?
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=966889406716055&_rdr
(In these times I feel obliged to add a disclaimer that this is satire, not incitement)
David Davies, Wales has never once in the history of the democratic franchise, returned a majority of Tory MP’s. You have no mandate to govern Wales or to impose propaganda materials on our children against the wishes of the democratically elected Welsh Government.
Ah, but you say, Wales has returned a Labour majority and Labour are Unionists so you must accept Tory governance as a part of the UK.
Labour Unionism extends Tory governance over Wales. Welsh Labour, it’s over to you – what are you going to do about it?
£12 million for this, and the cost for the book in our language redacted from the price, add the cost of 2 public holidays later this year, and £120 million to celebrate Brexit. But we have no money for the poor, Tory’s vote not to feed children during holiday time. Please God can we get indy done, and set up a society that will pay for and care for those who need it most, not waste it celebrating people who already have millions in the bank.
Plural of “Tory” is “Tories”. Grayham’s malign influence on spelling is now more infectious than Covid.
do i even need to bother pointing out how david tc davies would react if the senedd spent £12 million on……..well, pretty much anything?
you wouldn’t even need to spend £1 million on anything to do with welsh language, history or culture before this odious little man started foaming at the mouth about state sponsored nationalist propaganda.
even for a tory, he is a particularly loathsome creature.
Propaganda at it’s worst, brainwash the school children with the history of the English Monarchy. Instead of giving away public holidays everytime there is a celebration for Betty Battenburg make St David’s Day a public holiday
£12m ! When many families have to choose between heating and eating due to the cost of living crisis! Yes, give it the rubbish to our children, they can take it home, give it to their parents who can then burn it to keep warm !
Huge waste of money
Can everyone please calm their excited children who are eager to receive their copy of this book? I doubt that any child in any part of the UK is in Santa mode waiting for it to arrive. I fully expect our Government to read through and assess this book in both languages before allowing it to be distributed in our schools and pay particular attention to what sort of patriotism it is promoting.
More sycophantic Anglophile Conservative brainwashing & grooming of young impressionable Welsh children. What a waste of public money? That £12 million could be spent on their education.