What is the Welsh Government doing to promote the engagement of young people with their communities and becoming active citizens?
One of the four purposes in the Curriculum for Wales, which should guide all schools’ decisions is to “support learners in becoming ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world”. Citizenship, political awareness, identity and cynefin are key themes within the statements of what matters within the Humanities area. This means it is mandatory for schools to design a curriculum that supports learners develop knowledge, skills and provide experience so they have the confidence and will to be active citizens.
This government’s priority is to increase participation and ensure that every citizen can play their full part in our democracy. We have legislated to require principal councils to develop and publish Public Participation Strategies to involve the views and experiences of their communities, including young people, to inform their decision-making. We have made £300,000 available in both this financial year and next for our Democratic Engagement Grant. This supports projects building on work that has already demonstrated impact, or with an innovative approach to overcoming barriers to participation in democracy, such as The Politics Project’s ‘Digital Dialogue’ programme and ‘Vocal Eyes’ in Swansea.