Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education has given an insightful talk to students, staff, governors and lead partnership schools of Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, which focussed on 'Achieving the National Mission for Education: Progress and Next Steps.'
It was the final in a series of monthly public lectures organised by Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy in order to continue discussion about education policy in Wales.
Kirsty Williams has been Wales' Education Minister since May 2016, through a progressive agreement with the First Minister, and is leading a "national mission of education reform at all levels". The Minister's priorities include transforming the school curriculum, reducing infant class sizes and delivering the most equitable and progressive student support system in Europe.
The Minister said: "I was delighted to be invited to speak to the staff and students at Cardiff Met about our National Mission for Education.
"The National Mission, and the new curriculum, are significant moments in our history as a people who believe in education as an individual, community and national endeavour. For the first time ever we are bringing forward our own made-in-Wales legislative proposals for the school curriculum.
"The new curriculum will support our young people to become enterprising, creative and critical thinkers and empower our teachers to guide those pupils in becoming confident citizens with connected, coherent and fundamental knowledge.
"I want our youngest citizens not only to understand the world around them, but to question the world around them, and change it for the better!"
A White Paper on the legislative proposals for the new curriculum is currently open for consultation and the draft curriculum is due to be published for feedback in April.
Other speakers in the series at Cardiff Met have included Assembly Member Huw Irranca-Davies; Professor Mick Waters, Chair of the Independent Task and Finish Group and Professor Graham Donaldson from the University of Glasgow.
Invited members of the policy community in Wales also attended last night's lecture at the University's Llandaff campus.
Julia Longville, Dean of Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, said: "This has been an invaluable series of lectures co-ordinated by Professor David Egan. The various speakers have provided real insight into upcoming policy changes within the education sector and have provided opportunity for us to contribute to and maintain dialogue to help shape future developments."
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