Professor Charlotte Williams to lead work on teaching Wales’s “rich history built on difference and diversity”

Professor Charlotte Williams OBE has been appointed by the Welsh Government to lead a new working group to advise on and improve the teaching of themes relating to Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and experiences across all parts of the school curriculum.

Professor Williams accepted an invitation from the Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, to chair the new ‘Communities, contributions and cynefin: BAME experiences and the new curriculum’ working group.

In 2007, Professor Williams was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to ethnic minorities and equal opportunities in Wales.

Professor Williams said:

“I’m delighted and honoured to be leading the working group in advancing this step change towards integrating Black and minority ethnic history, identity and culture into the everyday learning of every child in Wales. The goal is that the new curriculum will become a shining example of resourcing and enabling broad engagement in learning and teaching with BAME contributions past and present.

“The challenge is to ensure that Black and minority ethnic peoples have a presence across the new Welsh curriculum, so that within all of the Areas of Learning and Experience we can hear the sound of their voices, know of their experience, history and contributions, past and present.

“This requires appropriate resourcing because we want all teachers in Wales to be able to rethink their materials and feel confident in the ways of delivering them in order to reflect this presence. It’s a very exciting prospect. In this way our curriculum in Wales will ultimately be reflective of our common experience of a vibrant, inclusive, multicultural society.

“We have a rich history in Wales, built on difference and diversity.

“This isn’t about adding an element of Black and minority ethnic history here and there in the new curriculum, but about reimagining learning and teaching across all the elements of the curriculum so that it reflects a Wales that is, and always has been, ethnically diverse, internationalist in its outlook and progressive in its aspirations.”

The First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said:

“Our diversity is one of our strengths as a nation and our many histories have combined to shape Wales today. 

“I’m delighted Professor Williams  will be leading this important piece of work and I look forward to seeing the group’s recommendations.”

The working group will complete a review of learning resources currently available to support the teaching of themes relating to BAME communities and ‘cynefin’ across all parts of the curriculum. The group will also review associated professional learning opportunities and resources. The group will be closely aligned to the review of Welsh history by Estyn, the education inspectorate.

The Welsh word ‘cynefin’ loosely translates as ‘habitat’ or ‘place’, but also conveys a sense that all human interactions are strongly influenced and determined by both personal and collective experiences, such as through stories or music.

The group will present their initial findings in the autumn, and a full report in the spring.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said:

“I’m very pleased Professor Williams has agreed to chair the working group.

 “I look forward to receive the group’s recommendations on learning resources to support the teaching of themes relating to BAME communities. 

“Wales is made up of a multitude of stories. We must understand and analyse our own cynefin, and make those connections across our communities, nation and the world. It isn’t just about history as a subject, it’s language, literature, geography, and so much more.

“The group will oversee the development of new learning resources in advance of the phased introduction of the new Curriculum for Wales in 2022.”

Professor Williams is Professor of Social Work and Deputy Dean at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and has recently been awarded a visiting professorship at the University of South Wales.

She is known for her commentary on issues of Welsh multiculturalism, and for her ground breaking text ‘A Tolerant Nation? Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Wales’.

Her award-winning memoir of growing up in Wales, ‘Sugar and Slate’ won Welsh book of the Year 2003.

The new Curriculum’s guidance on the Humanities Are of Learning and Experience: https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/humanities/designing-your-curriculum

Yr Athro Charlotte Williams i arwain y gwaith ar addysgu hanes cyfoethog Cymru a adeiladwyd ar sail gwahaniaeth ac amrywiaeth

Mae’r Athro Charlotte Williams OBE wedi’i phenodi gan Lywodraeth Cymru i arwain gweithgor newydd i roi cyngor ar addysgu themâu sy’n ymwneud â chymunedau a phrofiadau pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ar draws y cwricwlwm ysgol, a gwella’r broses addysgu honno.

Derbyniodd yr Athro Williams wahoddiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg, Kirsty Williams, i gadeirio gweithgor newydd ‘Cymunedau, cyfraniadau a chynefin: Profiadau pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig a’r cwricwlwm newydd’.

Yn 2007, dyfarnwyd OBE i’r Athro Williams fel rhan o Anrhydeddau Blwyddyn Newydd y Frenhines am ei gwasanaethau i leiafrifoedd ethnig a chyfleoedd cyfartal yng Nghymru.

Dywedodd yr Athro Williams:

“Dw i wrth fy modd yn cael arwain y gweithgor, ac mae’n anrhydedd imi gael gwneud, er mwyn hyrwyddo’r newid hwn i wneud hanes, hunaniaeth a diwylliant pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn rhan o broses ddysgu bob dydd pob plentyn yng Nghymru. Y nod yw bod y cwricwlwm newydd yn esiampl ddisglair o sut y gellir hwyluso dysgu ac addysgu ynghylch ystod eang o gyfraniadau pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig, ddoe a heddiw, gan ddarparu’r adnoddau angenrheidiol.

“Yr her yw sicrhau bod presenoldeb gan bobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ym mhob rhan o gwricwlwm newydd Cymru, fel bod modd inni glywed eu lleisiau, a gwybod am eu profiadau, eu hanes a’u cyfraniadau, ddoe a heddiw, ym mhob Maes Dysgu a Phrofiad.

“Mae hyn yn galw am adnoddau priodol, gan ein bod am i holl athrawon Cymru allu ailystyried eu deunyddiau a theimlo’n hyderus o ran sut i’w cyflwyno er mwyn sicrhau’r presenoldeb hwn. Mae’n nod cyffrous iawn. Yn y pen draw, bydd ein cwricwlwm yng Nghymru yn adlewyrchu ein profiad cyffredin o gymdeithas amlddiwylliannol gynhwysol, egnïol.

“Mae gyda ni hanes cyfoethog yng Nghymru, a adeiladwyd ar sail gwahaniaeth ac amrywiaeth.

“Nid mater o ychwanegu elfen o hanes pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yma ac acw yn y cwricwlwm newydd yw hyn, ond ailddychmygu dysgu ac addysgu holl elfennau’r cwricwlwm mewn ffordd sy’n adlewyrchu Cymru sy’n amrywiol o ran ethnigrwydd, yn rhyngwladol o ran ei bydolwg, ac yn flaengar o ran ei dyheadau – rhywbeth sydd wedi bod yn wir erioed.”

Dywedodd Prif Weinidog Cymru, Mark Drakeford:

“Ein hamrywiaeth yw un o’n cryfderau fel cenedl, ac mae ein hanesion lu wedi cyfuno i greu Cymru heddiw.  

“Dw i wrth fy modd y bydd yr Athro Williams yn arwain y gwaith pwysig hwn, ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld argymhellion y grŵp.”

Bydd y gweithgor yn adolygu’r adnoddau sydd eisoes ar gael i gefnogi’r gwaith o addysgu themâu sy’n ymwneud â chymunedau a chynefinoedd pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ar draws y cwricwlwm. Bydd y grŵp hefyd yn adolygu’r cyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol a’r adnoddau cysylltiedig. Bydd gwaith y gweithgor yn gysylltiedig iawn ag adolygiad Estyn, yr arolygiaeth addysg, o hanes Cymru.

Bydd y grŵp yn cyflwyno ei ganfyddiadau cychwynnol yn yr hydref, ac adroddiad llawn yn y gwanwyn.

Dywedodd y Gweinidog Addysg, Kirsty Williams:

“Dw i’n falch iawn bod yr Athro Williams wedi cytuno i gadeirio’r gweithgor.

“Dw i’n edrych ymlaen at weld argymhellion y grŵp ynghylch adnoddau dysgu i gefnogi’r gwaith o addysgu themâu sy’n ymwneud â chymunedau, cynefinoedd a chyfraniadau pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig.

“Mae stori Cymru yn gyfuniad o liaws o straeon. Rhaid inni ddeall a dadansoddi ein cynefin ein hunain, a gwneud y cysylltiadau hynny ar draws ein cymunedau, ein cenedl a’r byd. Nid mater o ystyried hanes fel pwnc yw hyn. Mae’n fater o iaith, llenyddiaeth, daearyddiaeth a chymaint mwy.

“Bydd y grŵp hwn yn goruchwylio’r broses o ddatblygu’r adnoddau dysgu newydd cyn i gwricwlwm newydd Cymru gael ei gyflwyno’n raddol yn 2022.”