Black history lessons to be made compulsory in Welsh schools

All children in Wales will be taught about racism and the contributions of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

Under new changes the teaching of BAME histories would be required in every school, Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams said.

Ms Williams said it would help pupils become "informed citizens of the world".

But Wales' new curriculum, which will be introduced in 2022, does not state exactly what schools should be teaching.

Why have people been campaigning for this change?

History is a subject that lots of children enjoy studying at primary and secondary school.

It's an opportunity to learn about lots of important events that have taken place in the past and the impact they have had on the world today.

Following worldwide protests after the death of George Floyd in the United States, there were calls for the history curriculum in the UK to be updated to make it more diverse and reflective of Britain's multicultural society.

Angel Ezeadum, member of UK Youth Parliament for Cardiff, said it was a relief that "finally we are doing something" to tackle racism and inequality.

Angel, a member of the Welsh Youth Parliament, had campaigned for black history to be included in the curriculum

The 16-year-old student said she hoped the changes would lead to the next generation of pupils having more opportunity to have a "different mindset to perhaps their parents or grandparents".

She said: "If we want a society which is better for all, where there's equality, and there's fair representation then we need this."

Opportunity for 'significant change'

Prof Charlotte Williams said children needed to learn about diverse role models and histories regardless of where they live

Prof Charlotte Williams led a group set up by the Welsh government to look at how BAME contributions through history was taught in schools,

She said the new curriculum was an opportunity for "significant change".

However, while learning about diversity, identity and equality is compulsory under the new curriculum, there is no requirement for schools to teach pupils about slavery, the British Empire, or the Holocaust.

Prof Williams said, in a report published on Friday, this was concerning as these areas were "topics of central understanding to the histories of racism and diversity".

Lavinya Stennett, founder of the Black Curriculum organisation that wants to see black history taught in schools across the UK, told Newsround that there is still "more to do in terms of content and teachers being equipped to teach it".

She says training for teachers about black history should be compulsory and that the stories of people from diverse communities shouldn't just be limited to history lessons.

"I see black history being able to have a central place in every subject. The ultimate goal is for students to take that information and to go and do something with it, to empower their world and communities," Ms Stennett told Newsround.