A very interesting discussion was held on a special edition of Bwrw Golwg (BBC Radio Cymru), on Sunday, 18 August 2024, which focused on the major changes in the Curriculum for Wales in terms of sex education and religious education. Joining the presenter, Gwenfair Griffith, and the other speakers, Beca Brown, Mefys Jones-Edwards, and Rachel Bendall, was Dr Gareth Evans-Jones, Lecturer in Philosophy and Religion at Bangor University, and one of the Directors of the National Centre of Religious Education for Wales (NCREW).
The programme commenced with a discussion regarding the challenges that have arisen since changing sex education to being a compulsory subject and removing the ability from parents and guardians to withdraw their children from those lessons, together with the possible benefits of such an approach.
Subsequently, consideration was given to the change to Religious Education which has become new subject – Religion, Values and Ethics – and one which could either be taught as a subject in its own right or as a subject hybrid, the Humanities, which also includes History, Geography, Business Studies, among other subjects, depending on the individual school’s preference.
This new Religion, Values and Ethics education could significantly enable young people to go out into the world and engage with it in a respectful and tolerant manner also.
Dr Gareth Evans-Jones
In April 2024, NCREW published a report drawn up by the Centre's directors, Professor Lucy Huskinson, Dr Joshua Andrews and Dr Gareth Evans-Jones, and their research fellow, Ms Rachel Healand-Sloan, into teachers' responses regarding this change in the way the subject is taught. Dr Evans-Jones discussed this and the second stage of their research during the programme and received extremely beneficial feedback.
You can catch up with this special episode of Bwrw Golwg here: Bwrw Golwg - Gwenfair Griffith yn trafod newidiadau mewn addysg - BBC Sounds.
Read more about the report: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/history-law-social-sciences/news/presenting-a-significant-report-in-the-senedd.