Translate the text from Welsh to English.



 
 Ers i mi gael fy mhenodi yn Weinidog Addysg a Sgiliau rwyf wedi bod yn ymwybodol o’r anawsterau a’r costau cynyddol sy’n wynebu nifer o deuluoedd wrth orfod talu am ofal plant ychwanegol yn sgil amrywiadau yn nyddiadau tymhorau ysgolion a gwyliau ysgolion oherwydd hynny.

Newidiodd Deddf Addysg (Cymru) 2014 y trefniadau ar gyfer pennu dyddiadau tymhorau yng Nghymru drwy gynnwys darpariaethau newydd ar gyfer Cymru yn unig yn Neddf Addysg 2002\. O ganlyniad, tra bod awdurdodau lleol a chyrff llywodraethu ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir ac ysgolion sefydledig (“cyrff llywodraethu perthnasol”) yn cadw’r hawl i bennu dyddiadau tymhorau eu hysgolion, mae ganddynt ddyletswydd bellach hefyd i gydweithio i sicrhau bod y dyddiadau hynny’r un fath neu mor debyg â phosibl.

Mae’n ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol hysbysu Gweinidogion Cymru o ddyddiadau’r tymhorau a bennir ar gyfer pob ysgol a gynhelir (gan gynnwys ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir ac ysgolion sefydledig) yn eu hardaloedd erbyn diwrnod gwaith olaf mis Awst. Os na ellir cytuno, er gwaethaf pob ymdrech i wneud hynny, mae Deddf Addysg 2002 yn rhoi’r pŵer i Weinidogion Cymru roi cyfarwyddyd i awdurdodau lleol a chyrff llywodraethu perthnasol ar ddyddiadau eu tymhorau, er mwyn cysoni dyddiadau tymhorau ledled Cymru.

Cyn defnyddio eu pwerau cyfarwyddo i bennu dyddiadau tymhorau, mae’n ddyletswydd ar Weinidogion Cymru i gynnal ymgynghoriad priodol.  
Wrth bennu pa ddyddiadau tymhorau i’w pennu ar gyfer 2016/17, rwyf wedi rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i’r holl hysbysiadau wedi’u llofnodi a ddaeth i law gan 21 awdurdod lleol ac ar gyfer 70 o ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir ac ysgolion sefydledig ynghyd â gwybodaeth heb ei dilysu a ddaeth i law, gan gynnwys hysbysiadau heb eu llofnodi. Rwyf hefyd wedi ystyried ymatebion i ymgynghoriad 12 wythnos ar y dyddiadau tymhorau y cynigiais i eu pennu.

Y dyddiadau tymhorau yr wyf yn bwriadu eu pennu yw’r rhai yr ymgynghorais arnynt. Maent yn ystyried rhai elfennau o’r dyddiadau tymhorau a dderbyniwyd gan bob prif ranbarth yng Nghymru. Er fy mod yn ymwybodol o’r pryderon a godwyd am ddigwyddiadau a dathliadau amrywiol yr Eglwys Babyddol a dyddiadau tymor y Pasg, rwyf wedi ystyried y ffaith bod y dyddiadau’n adlewyrchu barn y rhan fwyaf o ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir ac ysgolion sefydledig a fynegodd farn mewn perthynas â gwyliau’r Pasg fel rhan o’r broses gysoni.

Felly, rwyf o’r farn ei bod yn rhesymol pennu dyddiadau tymhorau ar gyfer 2016/17 a fyddai’n gweld ysgolion yn torri am y Pasg cyn dechrau Wythnos y Pasg. Ar y sail hon, rwyf wedi penderfynu mai dyma’r dyddiadau tymhorau ar gyfer yr holl ysgolion a gynhelir yng Nghymru ar gyfer 2016/17\.

Diwrnod cyntaf y flwyddyn ysgol: Dydd Iau, 1 Medi 2016

Gwyliau hanner tymor yr Hydref:  Dydd Llun, 24 Hydref 2016 i ddydd Gwener, 28 Hydref 2016

Gwyliau’r Nadolig: Dydd Llun, 19 Rhagfyr 2016 i ddydd Llun, 2 Ionawr 2017 (h.y. dychwelyd i’r ysgol ar ddydd Mawrth 3 Ionawr 2017\)

Hanner tymor y Gwanwyn: Dydd Llun, 20 Chwefror 2017 i ddydd Gwener, 24 Chwefror 2017

Gwyliau’r Pasg: Dydd Llun, 10 Ebrill 2017 i ddydd Gwener, 21 Ebrill 2017

Hanner tymor yr Haf: Dydd Llun, 29 Mai 2017 i ddydd Gwener, 2 Mehefin 2017

Diwrnod olaf yr ysgol: Dydd Gwener, 21 Gorffennaf 2017

Bydd y dyddiadau tymhorau ysgol a gyhoeddwyd ar gyfer 2016/17 a’r cyfarwyddyd i’r holl awdurdodau lleol a holl gyrff llywodraethu ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir ac ysgolion sefydledig yng Nghymru yn cael eu cyhoeddi ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru.

 





Translation:


 
 


 


Since I became Minister for Education and Skills I have been aware of the difficulties and increased costs faced by many families in having to fund additional child care costs as a result of variations in school term dates and therefore school holidays.  

The Education (Wales) Act 2014 changed arrangements for term date setting in Wales by inserting new Wales\-only provisions into the Education Act 2002\.  As a result, while local authorities and the governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools (“relevant governing bodies”) retain the right to set term dates for their schools, they are also now under a duty to work together to ensure that those dates are the same or as similar as possible.  


Local authorities are required to inform the Welsh Ministers of the term dates set for all maintained schools (including voluntary aided and foundations schools) within their respective areas by the final working day of August.   If, despite best efforts, consensus is not achieved the Education Act 2002 gives the Welsh Ministers the power to direct local authorities and relevant governing bodies on what their term dates must be, so that term dates are harmonised across Wales.  


Before using their powers of direction to set term dates Welsh Ministers are under a duty to carry out an appropriate consultation.  


In determining which term dates to set for 2016/17 I have carefully considered all signed notifications received from 21 local authorities and for 70 voluntary aided and foundations schools along with unverified information received including unsigned notifications.  I have also considered responses to a 12 week consultation on the term dates I proposed to set.


The term dates I intend to set are those I consulted on.  They take into account some aspects of term dates received from each main region in Wales. Whilst I am mindful of some concern raised about the various events and celebrations of the Roman Catholic Church and Easter term dates, I have given consideration to the fact that the dates reflect the opinions of the majority of voluntary aided and foundation schools who expressed a view in relation to the Easter break as part of the harmonisation process.  


I therefore consider it reasonable to set term dates for 2016/17 which would see schools breaking up for Easter before the start of the Holy Week.  On this basis I have decided that the term dates for all maintained schools in Wales for 2016/17 will be those set out in the table below.  


First day of school year: Thursday, 1st September 2016


Autumn half term holiday: Monday, 24th October 2016 to Friday, 28th October 2016


Christmas holiday Monday: 19th December 2016 to Monday, 2nd January 2017 (i.e. return to school on Tuesday 3rd January 2017\)


Spring half term: Monday: 20th February 2017 to Friday, 24th February 2017


Easter holiday Monday: 10th April 2017 to Friday, 21st April 2017


Summer half term Monday: 29th May 2017 to Friday, 2nd June 2017


Final day in school Friday, 21st  July 2017


The published school term dates for 2016/17 and the direction to all local authorities and all school governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools in Wales will be published on the Welsh Government website.