English: The petition references a similar recommendation made by the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee as part of its inquiry into the teaching of Welsh history. That committee noted that taking this approach would allow all pupils to have an understanding of how their country has been shaped by local and national events, within the context of Welsh, British and international histories. That recommendation was rejected by the Welsh Government on the basis that the new curriculum is purpose led and intentionally moves away from specifying lists of topics and content to be taught. Instead, as the Minister has outlined on other occasions, the new curriculum seeks to give teachers and schools the freedom to take their own decisions about what is taught within a broad national framework. Now, if I may digress slightly, this tension between the vision for the new curriculum and calls for specific subjects and issues to be taught as part of it has been a regular feature of Petitions Committee meetings over the past few years. It is a genuine tension, and it illuminates the crucial importance of getting the guidance and the resources that will accompany the curriculum right. That issue is at the heart of both of these petitions. To outline the argument made by this petition further, the petitioner asks how can we understand the society in which we live if we cannot understand what has happened in our past. He argues that the extent to which pupils are taught about key moments in this history is variable and wants this to be addressed by the new curriculum. Central to the petition is a call for core historical content to be established and for resources to be developed to support schools and teachers to deliver consistent teaching, a point I will return to later on. I will leave it to the Minister to outline the way in which she has responded to these arguments. However, I will mention that the Petitions Committee has considered written evidence from Estyn, which is currently conducting a review of the teaching of Welsh history in schools. It is seeking examples of best practice and may end up making its own suggestions. The work, of course, has been badly affected by the pandemic and is now not likely to report until summer 2021. I will now move on to the other petition in this debate, which is also the one thousandth petition to be considered by the Petitions Committee, certainly a significant landmark for our processes. It is also one of the largest petitions we have received, having gathered - and I did say one of the largest petitions we have received - 34,736 signatures after it was submitted by Angharad Owen in June of this year. The petition was submitted following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in the USA and the protests that followed across the world, many, of course, linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. The petition is one of the fastest growing petitions to the Senedd, reflecting the importance of the issues it raises and the pressing need for us to do more to tackle racism in our society. In Britain, many of the protests that followed George Floyd's death focused on the legacy of colonialism and slavery. This petition calls for that history, and specifically the part that Wales played in it, to be represented in the curriculum. The petition argues that the British empire has sometimes been glamorised, whilst the global impact of colonialism has also been downplayed, with a direct impact upon the lives of black and minority ethnic people in Wales today. Where this petition is focused is on ensuring that sufficient coverage is given to teaching about the legacy of these aspects of our history in our schools, including the role Wales played and the impact on black and minority ethnic people in Wales. The petitioner has acknowledged that teaching these issues can be daunting for teachers. It can be a highly charged subject with a direct personal relevance to the experiences and perspectives of individuals as well as current world events. Therefore, the petition argues that additional resources and support are required to equip teachers with the information and confidence to address these subjects appropriately with their students. Responding to the petition, the Minister has referred to a working group established to consider black and minority ethnic histories as part of the story of Wales under the chairing of Professor Charlotte Williams. I will leave it to the Minister to explain more about this work, which has the potential to lead to some of the change sought by this petition, but I want to note our support for it at the outset. In concluding my opening remarks, it is important to acknowledge that the histories raised by these two petitions are both equally part of the story of Wales and its people. A full teaching of our history, good and bad, and what it means for today's Wales, must seek to speak to everyone, and to develop in our young people a rounded and nuanced view of what came before them. That is no small challenge. However, this is an opportune moment to hold this discussion, both due to world events and the development of the new curriculum and the resources that will support it. The Petitions Committee acknowledges the flexible approach at the heart of that curriculum's design. The challenge, of course, for the Minister, and everyone involved in its development, is to ensure that people can have confidence that pupils will be provided with key information about the forces that have shaped today's Wales, and that our teachers and students will have the resources and training to support them in this. I very much look forward to hearing the contributions of other Members during the rest of this debate. Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.
Welsh: Mae'r ddeiseb yn cyfeirio at argymhelliad tebyg a wnaed gan y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chyfathrebu fel rhan o'i ymchwiliad i addysgu hanes Cymru. Nododd y pwyllgor hwnnw y byddai mabwysiadu'r dull hwn o weithredu'n caniatáu i bob disgybl ddeall sut y mae digwyddiadau lleol a chenedlaethol wedi ffurfio eu gwlad yng nghyd-destun hanesion Cymreig, Prydeinig a rhyngwladol. Gwrthodwyd yr argymhelliad hwnnw gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar y sail bod y cwricwlwm newydd wedi'i arwain gan ddibenion a'i fod yn symud yn fwriadol oddi wrth nodi rhestrau o bynciau a chynnwys i'w haddysgu. Yn hytrach, fel y mae'r Gweinidog wedi amlinellu ar adegau eraill, mae'r cwricwlwm newydd yn ceisio rhoi rhyddid i athrawon ac ysgolion wneud eu penderfyniadau eu hunain ynglŷn â'r hyn a addysgir o fewn fframwaith cenedlaethol eang. Nawr, os caf grwydro ychydig, mae'r tensiwn rhwng y weledigaeth ar gyfer y cwricwlwm newydd a galwadau am addysgu pynciau a materion penodol fel rhan ohono wedi bod yn nodwedd reolaidd o gyfarfodydd y Pwyllgor Deisebau dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae'n densiwn gwirioneddol, ac mae'n amlygu pwysigrwydd hanfodol cael y canllawiau a'r adnoddau a fydd yn cyd-fynd â'r cwricwlwm yn iawn. Dyna sydd wrth wraidd y ddwy ddeiseb. I amlinellu'r ddadl a wnaed gan y ddeiseb hon ymhellach, mae'r deisebydd yn gofyn sut y gallwn ddeall y gymdeithas rydym yn byw ynddi os na allwn ddeall beth sydd wedi digwydd yn ein gorffennol. Mae'n dadlau bod y graddau y caiff disgyblion eu haddysgu am adegau allweddol yn yr hanes hwn yn amrywio ac mae am i'r cwricwlwm newydd fynd i'r afael â hyn. Yn ganolog i'r ddeiseb ceir galw am sefydlu cynnwys hanesyddol craidd ac i adnoddau gael eu datblygu i gynorthwyo ysgolion ac athrawon i ddarparu addysg gyson, pwynt y byddaf yn dychwelyd ato yn nes ymlaen. Gadawaf i'r Gweinidog amlinellu'r ffordd y mae wedi ymateb i'r dadleuon hyn. Fodd bynnag, rwyf am grybwyll bod y Pwyllgor Deisebau wedi ystyried tystiolaeth ysgrifenedig gan Estyn, sydd ar hyn o bryd yn cynnal adolygiad o addysgu hanes Cymru mewn ysgolion. Mae'n chwilio am enghreifftiau o arferion gorau ac efallai y bydd yn gwneud ei awgrymiadau ei hun yn y pen draw. Mae'r pandemig wedi effeithio'n ddrwg ar y gwaith, wrth gwrs, ac erbyn hyn nid yw'n debygol o adrodd tan haf 2021. Fe symudaf ymlaen yn awr at y ddeiseb arall yn y ddadl hon, sef y milfed deiseb i'w hystyried gan y Pwyllgor Deisebau, sy'n sicr yn garreg filltir bwysig i'n prosesau. Mae hefyd yn un o'r deisebau mwyaf a gawsom, ar ôl casglu - ac fe ddywedais un o'r deisebau mwyaf a gawsom - 34,736 o lofnodion ar ôl iddi gael ei chyflwyno gan Angharad Owen ym mis Mehefin eleni. Cyflwynwyd y ddeiseb yn dilyn lladd George Floyd gan un o swyddogion yr heddlu yn UDA a'r protestiadau a ddilynodd ledled y byd, gyda llawer ohonynt, wrth gwrs, yn gysylltiedig â mudiad Black Lives Matter. Hon yw un o'r deisebau a dyfodd gyflymaf i'r Senedd, sy'n adlewyrchu pwysigrwydd y materion y mae'n eu codi a'r angen dybryd inni wneud mwy i fynd i'r afael â hiliaeth yn ein cymdeithas. Ym Mhrydain, canolbwyntiodd llawer o'r protestiadau a ddilynodd farwolaeth George Floyd ar etifeddiaeth trefedigaethedd a chaethwasiaeth. Mae'r ddeiseb hon yn galw am i'r hanes hwnnw, ac yn benodol y rhan a chwaraeodd Cymru ynddo, gael ei gynrychioli yn y cwricwlwm. Mae'r ddeiseb yn dadlau bod yr ymerodraeth Brydeinig weithiau wedi cael ei glamoreiddio, tra bod effaith fyd-eang trefedigaethedd wedi'i bychanu, gydag effaith uniongyrchol ar fywydau pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yng Nghymru heddiw. Mae'r ddeiseb hon yn canolbwyntio ar sicrhau bod digon o sylw'n cael ei roi i addysgu am etifeddiaeth yr agweddau hyn ar ein hanes yn ein hysgolion, gan gynnwys y rôl a chwaraeodd Cymru a'r effaith ar bobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yng Nghymru. Mae'r deisebydd wedi cydnabod y gall addysgu'r materion hyn fod yn anodd i athrawon. Gall fod yn bwnc emosiynol gyda pherthnasedd personol uniongyrchol i brofiadau a safbwyntiau unigolion yn ogystal â digwyddiadau yn y byd heddiw. Felly, mae'r ddeiseb yn dadlau bod angen adnoddau a chymorth ychwanegol i roi gwybodaeth a hyder i athrawon allu mynd i'r afael â'r pynciau hyn yn briodol gyda'u myfyrwyr. Wrth ymateb i'r ddeiseb, mae'r Gweinidog wedi cyfeirio at weithgor a sefydlwyd i ystyried hanes pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig fel rhan o stori Cymru dan gadeiryddiaeth yr Athro Charlotte Williams. Gadawaf i'r Gweinidog egluro mwy am y gwaith hwn, sydd â photensial i arwain at rywfaint o'r newid y mae'r ddeiseb hon yn gofyn amdano, ond hoffwn nodi ein cefnogaeth iddo ar y dechrau. Wrth gloi fy sylwadau agoriadol, mae'n bwysig cydnabod bod yr hanesion a nodwyd gan y ddwy ddeiseb yn chwarae rhan gyfartal yn stori Cymru a'i phobl. Rhaid i addysgu ein hanes yn llawn, y da a'r drwg, a'r hyn y mae'n ei olygu i Gymru heddiw, ymdrechu i siarad â phawb, a datblygu cipolwg cyflawn a manwl i'n pobl ifanc ar yr hyn a fu. Nid her fach yw honno. Ond mae'n adeg amserol i gynnal y drafodaeth hon, oherwydd digwyddiadau'r byd a datblygu'r cwricwlwm newydd a'r adnoddau i'w gefnogi. Mae'r Pwyllgor Deisebau'n cydnabod y dull hyblyg sydd wrth wraidd y broses o gynllunio'r cwricwlwm hwnnw. Yr her, wrth gwrs, i'r Gweinidog a phawb sy'n ymwneud â'i ddatblygiad, yw sicrhau y gall pobl fod yn hyderus y bydd disgyblion yn cael gwybodaeth allweddol am y grymoedd sydd wedi llunio Cymru heddiw, ac y bydd ein hathrawon a'n myfyrwyr yn cael adnoddau a hyfforddiant i'w cefnogi yn hyn o beth. Edrychaf ymlaen yn fawr at glywed cyfraniadau'r Aelodau eraill dros weddill y ddadl hon. Diolch yn fawr.