Schools minister to meet pupils after Netflix drama

The education secretary for Wales said she will speak to school pupils to learn more about concerns raised by the Netflix drama Adolescence.

The drama, about a teenage boy who is arrested for murdering a female classmate, touches on the impact of social media and misogynist online influencers.

Lynne Neagle said she has asked to meet a group of young people who help the Welsh government with its Keeping Safe Online advice.

She said she wanted to ensure resources provided to teachers and parents were "fully up to date".

Neagle said she found Adolescence "deeply worrying" and a "shocking programme".

"What I'm worried about is how we keep pace as adults with a world that is so very different from our own," she said.

"We've got a group of learners who help us with our Keeping Safe Online work.

"I've asked to meet with them, as well as the team that leads on that, so we can really make sure that the resources we are providing that we're providing via [education online platform] Hwb to children, to parents, and to teachers, are fully up to date and take account of the kind of things that are emerging now in society."

She spoke as members of the Senedd raised concerns about incel culture - misogynistic online communities of males who describe themselves as "involuntary celibate" - and mobile phones in schools.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru MS for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, asked Neagle if she was considering stronger national guidance on access to mobile phones in schools.

Neagle said mobile phones were being actively discussed with schools, which can already ban them within the school days.

A recent Senedd inquiry on the issue said mobiles should not be banned outright but that schools should get more support to set their own restrictions.

Mark Isherwood, Conservative MS for North Wales, said he had never heard of the term incel until he had seen the series.

"As parents and grandparents of both girls and boys, I find incel culture extremely concerning," he said.

"It now applies to online forums in which men discuss feeling angry and resentful towards women because they believe women don't find them attractive."

He asked what action was being taken to ensure it was addressed in healthy relationship sessions delivered in schools.

The minister said the Welsh government's relationship and sexuality education (RSE) curriculum had an important role to play.

She said work was taking place to "strengthen our RSE provision".

Neagle said: "We fund the Spectrum project and that supports schools across Wales with lessons on healthy relationships, violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

"But I am looking at what more we can do around RSE in Wales."