English: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to be leading this debate this afternoon on behalf of the Welsh Conservative group. Before I go into my comments this afternoon, can I declare an interest as a part-time HE student here in Wales? Further and higher education has a broad and beneficial impact on our Welsh economy and society, but it's not just those who are aged under 24 who can contribute to this positive impact. That's why I'm glad, fresh on the back of Adult Learners' Week last week, that we have the opportunity to debate the current and future role that part-time education and lifelong learning plays in the developing nature of our country and its people. Before I develop my contribution, I just want to address the amendments that have been tabled. We will be supporting amendment 2. Plaid Cymru are quite right to highlight the level of uncertainty that our FE and HE institutions are experiencing because of the Welsh Government's failure to confirm its proposals for student support and higher education funding for 2018-19. We firmly believe that there needs to be a proper three-year financial package and plan in place. But in terms of amendment 1, while I hear what the Government is trying to say about its plans for the future, I do believe that Careers Wales as it stands simply is not fit for purpose. It's hugely under-resourced and it's not delivering the sort of independent and bespoke advice that our learners need at the moment, so we will be opposing that amendment. So, whilst there's quite rightly a focus on full-time further and higher education, this, I'm afraid, has come at a price of it becoming the assumed default mode of provision. When society thinks of students, I think it's fair to say that most of us commonly associate this with a picture of those going straight from school into university or college. But a significant and growing number of adults wish to begin or to continue further or higher education at a different stage in their life, and we've got many people who need to overcome challenges to enable them to study. Negotiating their finances, finding a flexible course to fit around existing work and family commitments, or having to access course information can significantly hinder their ability to enter into part-time education. By 2022, a third of our workforce will be over the age of 50, and yet the majority of Welsh spending in education is primarily directed towards children and young people. At present, those between 18 and 24 will have almost 100 times more invested on his or her education by the Welsh Government than someone aged between 50 and 74. Moreover, when we look at the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training in Wales compared to people between 50 and their pension age who are not in employment, education or training, the figures are startling - more than a three-fold difference: 60,000 compared to around 200,000. Of course, this disadvantage is felt the most in our deprived parts of the country. So, the reality is that if we pursue our current trajectory, we're in danger of laying a trap for our future economic development and personal well-being, because we will fail to utilise the full capabilities and potential of all in our workforce, and we will fail to develop that potential and that talent in parts of Wales that are already being left behind. So, faced with this demographic shift, developing the future framework and resourcing of adult learning is more important than ever to ensure that the Welsh economy has the skills that it needs. Adult Learners' Week has just finished. It was its twenty-sixth year of celebrating and promoting those who've already undertaken the journey into further and work-based learning - a fantastic initiative, I'm sure that we would all agree. On top of that, of course, we've had the Inspire! Awards, which emphasise how education is one of the most useful and powerful tools that we have as an enabler for everyone, from any age or background, to positively shape and change their lives. So, it's our intention, in debating this issue this afternoon, that we can move from the focus on full-time education to, instead, recognising the true and huge potential that part-time learning can provide. As the 2014 jointly commissioned report from the Open University and the National Union Students 'It's About Time' argues, part-time higher education is about many things, but, at the end of the day, it ultimately hangs on one crucial factor, and that is time. Those returning to part-time education are often juggling other commitments. They're caring for their families, they're pursuing a career already, or they're trying to overcome personal struggles to restart or redirect their lives. Sometimes, they're doing all of these things together, simultaneously. Just over 40,000 people here in Wales are currently enrolled in part-time higher education. They've decided to set aside weekdays, in the evening, after work. They've made personal commitments, and they're persevering, very often, through financial and family pressures to achieve a qualification, to retrain themselves, to upskill or to seek an intellectual challenge. And I think their commitment and willingness to invest their time, their resources and their energy means that we here in this place should also be making a commitment back to them and we should try to do everything we can to make the choice that they have made easier. But it's clear from the current trends, I'm afraid, that adults are finding it more and more difficult to enrol in part-time education, because the numbers, in recent years, have been on the decline. Part-time learning decreased by 21 per cent in one year between 2015 and 2016 in further education institutions and there was an 11 per cent fall in those studying part time in higher education in the same year. In addition to that, learners in local authority adult community education in the same year also fell by a quarter. So, since 2011-12, there are 21,000 fewer learners each year in local authority adult community learning provision, down from 35,000 to just over 14,000. Now, I appreciate that the Government has looked to address entry into part-time higher education in particular, and that's why we've been on record as welcoming the provisions of the Diamond review, the recommendations of the Diamond review and the trajectory that the Government has embarked upon. I think it's absolutely right that that gives part-time students parity of esteem in terms of the financial support that they can get to access higher education. But, of course, further education also needs a boost as well in terms of support and access into that, and Diamond doesn't actually address that in the way that many of us had hoped that it would. Turning back to higher education, at present the two priorities to address, of course, are financing and flexibility. We know that recent research from the OU shows that nearly a quarter of those in part-time higher education actually use their savings to fund their tuition fees, and another quarter funded their education through paid work while they were studying. But, worryingly, 17 per cent of learners, according to the OU, have used debt, including credit card debt, overdrafts and payday loans, to fund their tuition fees. These figures show that the current system is simply not working for part-time students. It's not accessible, particularly for those who are in low-wage employment in those most disadvantaged parts of Wales. They've got particular challenges, I think, that we need to help them to overcome. So, we've got debt aversion amongst mature students, and I think that that also is perhaps contributing to this downward slide in the numbers of people who've been entering part-time higher education and, indeed, further education in recent years. Now, we know that postgraduate loans are going to be available from this September. I think that that's a very welcome thing, but, of course, we need to ensure that there is some certainty beyond this next academic year for those postgraduate provisions, and indeed for all other students post the Diamond review. In the current system, loan applications for part-time study are open for submission later than those for full time, and these applications can be made only offline via hard copies, not online as with full-time students. Why? That's not accessible, it's not acceptable, and it creates hurdles - additional hurdles - for people to overcome. And for distance-learning students at the moment, it's particularly discouraging, because they face a long delay between enrolling for a course and then being able to apply for a loan, and that's why we're calling upon the Welsh Government to provide an all-age careers advisory and education service, because, currently, potential adult learners are simply not getting the support that they need. They're not getting access to that impartial information, advice and guidance in the same way that full-time students actually are. We also need to ensure that part-time finance options are clearly articulated to those students, so that people can consider those actively when they make their applications, so that they can be confident that they've got the resources in place, not just for the first year that they embark on their course, but right through to the end of their courses as well.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n falch iawn o arwain y ddadl y prynhawn yma ar ran grŵp y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig. Cyn i mi ddechrau fy sylwadau y prynhawn yma, a gaf fi ddatgan buddiant fel myfyriwr addysg uwch rhan-amser yma yng Nghymru? Mae addysg bellach ac addysg uwch yn cael effaith eang a buddiol ar ein heconomi a chymdeithas Cymru, ond nid rhai o dan 24 oed yn unig a all gyfrannu at yr effaith gadarnhaol hon. Dyna pam rwy'n falch, yn syth ar ôl Wythnos Addysg Oedolion yr wythnos diwethaf, ein bod yn cael cyfle i drafod y rôl sydd i addysg ran-amser a dysgu gydol oes ar hyn o bryd ac yn y dyfodol yn natur ddatblygol ein gwlad a'i phobl. Cyn i mi ddatblygu fy nghyfraniad, rwyf eisiau mynd i'r afael â'r gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd. Byddwn yn cefnogi gwelliant 2. Mae Plaid Cymru yn llygad eu lle yn tynnu sylw at y lefel o ansicrwydd y mae ein sefydliadau addysg bellach ac addysg uwch yn ei hwynebu oherwydd methiant Llywodraeth Cymru i gadarnhau ei chynigion ar gymorth i fyfyrwyr a chyllid addysg uwch ar gyfer 2018-19. Credwn yn gryf fod angen cael pecyn a chynllun ariannol priodol tair blynedd ar waith. Ond o ran gwelliant 1, er fy mod yn clywed yr hyn y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ceisio ei ddweud am ei chynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol, nid wyf yn credu bod Gyrfa Cymru fel y mae yn addas i'r pwrpas. Mae'n hynod o brin o adnoddau ac nid yw'n darparu'r math o gyngor annibynnol a phwrpasol sydd ei angen ar ein dysgwyr ar y funud, felly byddwn yn gwrthwynebu'r gwelliant hwnnw. Felly, er bod ffocws, yn ddigon teg, ar addysg bellach ac addysg uwch amser llawn, y pris a dalwyd am hynny yw ei fod wedi dod yn ddull diofyn o ddarparu. Pan fydd cymdeithas yn meddwl am fyfyrwyr, rwy'n meddwl ei bod yn deg dweud bod y rhan fwyaf ohonom yn aml yn cysylltu hyn gyda llun o'r rhai sy'n mynd yn syth o'r ysgol i brifysgol neu goleg. Ond mae nifer sylweddol a chynyddol o oedolion yn dymuno dechrau neu barhau ag addysg bellach neu uwch ar gam gwahanol yn eu bywydau, ac mae gennym lawer o bobl sy'n gorfod goresgyn heriau i'w galluogi i astudio. Gall trafod eu trefniadau ariannol, dod o hyd i gwrs hyblyg i weddu i ymrwymiadau gwaith a theulu sydd eisoes yn bodoli, neu orfod cael gafael ar wybodaeth ar gyfer y cwrs lesteirio eu gallu i ymgymryd ag addysg ran-amser yn sylweddol. Erbyn 2022, bydd un rhan o dair o'n gweithlu dros 50 oed, ac eto mae'r rhan fwyaf o wariant Cymru ar addysg wedi'i gyfeirio'n bennaf tuag at blant a phobl ifanc. Ar hyn o bryd, bydd y rhai rhwng 18 a 24 oed yn cael bron i 100 gwaith yn fwy wedi'i fuddsoddi ar eu haddysg gan Lywodraeth Cymru na rhywun sydd rhwng 50 a 74 oed. At hynny, pan edrychwn ar nifer y bobl ifanc nad ydynt mewn cyflogaeth, addysg neu hyfforddiant yng Nghymru o'i gymharu â phobl rhwng 50 oed a'u hoedran pensiwn nad ydynt mewn cyflogaeth, addysg na hyfforddiant, mae'r ffigurau'n drawiadol - mwy na thair gwaith y gwahaniaeth: 60,000 o'i gymharu â thua 200,000. Wrth gwrs, mae'r anfantais i'w theimlo fwyaf yn y rhannau difreintiedig o'n gwlad. Felly, os ydym yn dilyn ein tuedd bresennol, y gwir amdani yw ein bod mewn perygl o osod trap ar gyfer ein datblygiad economaidd a'n llesiant personol yn y dyfodol, gan y byddwn yn methu defnyddio gallu llawn a photensial pawb yn ein gweithlu, a byddwn yn methu datblygu'r potensial hwnnw a'r dalent honno mewn rhannau o Gymru sydd eisoes yn cael eu gadael ar ôl. Felly, yn wyneb y newid demograffig hwn, mae datblygu fframwaith ac adnoddau dysgu oedolion yn y dyfodol yn bwysicach nag erioed i sicrhau bod gan economi Cymru y sgiliau sydd eu hangen arni. Mae Wythnos Addysg Oedolion newydd ddod i ben. Dyma'r 26ain mlynedd iddi fod yn dathlu a hyrwyddo'r rhai sydd eisoes wedi mynd ar y daith drwy addysg bellach a dysgu seiliedig ar waith - menter wych, rwy'n siŵr y byddem i gyd yn cytuno. Ar ben hynny, wrth gwrs, rydym wedi cael y Gwobrau Ysbrydoli! sy'n pwysleisio'r modd y mae addysg yn un o'r arfau mwyaf defnyddiol a phwerus sydd gennym fel cyfrwng galluogi i bawb o unrhyw oedran neu gefndir allu ffurfio a newid eu bywydau mewn modd cadarnhaol. Felly, ein bwriad, wrth drafod y mater hwn y prynhawn yma, yw gallu symud oddi wrth y pwyslais ar addysg amser llawn i gydnabod yn lle hynny y gwir botensial enfawr y gall dysgu rhan-amser ei gynnig. Fel y mae'r adroddiad a gomisiynwyd ar y cyd yn 2014 gan y Brifysgol Agored ac Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr, 'Mae'n Hen Bryd' yn dadlau, mae addysg uwch ran-amser yn ymwneud â llawer o bethau, ond yn y pen draw mae'n dibynnu ar un ffactor allweddol, sef amser. Mae'r rhai sy'n dychwelyd at addysg ran-amser yn aml yn jyglo ymrwymiadau eraill. Maent yn gofalu am eu teuluoedd, maent eisoes yn dilyn gyrfa, neu maent yn ceisio goresgyn brwydrau personol i ailddechrau neu ailgyfeirio eu bywydau. Weithiau, maent yn gwneud yr holl bethau hyn gyda'i gilydd, ar yr un pryd. Ar hyn o bryd ychydig dros 40,000 o bobl yma yng Nghymru sydd wedi'u cofrestru mewn addysg uwch ran-amser. Maent wedi penderfynu neilltuo dyddiau'r wythnos, gyda'r nos, ar ôl gwaith. Maent wedi gwneud ymrwymiadau personol, ac maent yn dyfalbarhau, yn aml iawn, drwy bwysau ariannol a theuluol i ennill cymhwyster, i ailhyfforddi eu hunain, i wella sgiliau neu ymgymryd â her ddeallusol. Ac rwy'n meddwl bod eu hymrwymiad a'u parodrwydd i fuddsoddi eu hamser, eu hadnoddau a'u hegni'n golygu y dylem ni yma yn y lle hwn hefyd wneud ymrwymiad iddynt hwy a dylem geisio gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i wneud y dewis y maent wedi'i wneud yn haws. Ond mae'n amlwg o'r tueddiadau cyfredol, yn anffodus, fod oedolion yn ei chael hi'n fwyfwy anodd cofrestru mewn addysg ran-amser, gan fod y niferoedd, yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, wedi bod yn dirywio. Gostyngodd y niferoedd sy'n dysgu'n rhan-amser 21 y cant mewn un flwyddyn rhwng 2015 a 2016 mewn sefydliadau addysg bellach ac roedd gostyngiad o 11 y cant yn y niferoedd sy'n astudio'n rhan-amser mewn addysg uwch yn yr un flwyddyn. Yn ogystal â hynny, cafwyd gostyngiad o chwarter yn nifer y dysgwyr mewn addysg awdurdod lleol i oedolion yn y gymuned yn yr un flwyddyn hefyd. Felly, ers 2011-12, mae 21,000 yn llai o ddysgwyr bob blwyddyn yn narpariaeth addysg awdurdodau lleol i oedolion yn y gymuned, i lawr o 35,000 i ychydig dros 14,000. Nawr, rwy'n deall bod y Llywodraeth wedi ceisio mynd i'r afael â mynediad at addysg uwch ran-amser yn benodol, a dyna pam y cofnodwyd ein bod wedi croesawu darpariaethau adolygiad Diamond, argymhellion adolygiad Diamond a'r llwybr y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi cychwyn ar hyd-ddo. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn hollol gywir fod hwnnw'n rhoi parch cydradd i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser o ran y cymorth ariannol y gallant ei gael ar gyfer dilyn cyrsiau addysg uwch. Ond wrth gwrs, mae angen hwb ar addysg bellach hefyd o ran cymorth a mynediad ato, ac nid yw Diamond yn mynd i'r afael â hynny yn y ffordd roedd llawer ohonom wedi gobeithio y byddai'n ei wneud mewn gwirionedd. Gan ddychwelyd at addysg uwch, ar hyn o bryd y ddwy flaenoriaeth i fynd i'r afael â hwy, wrth gwrs, yw cyllid a hyblygrwydd. Fe wyddom fod gwaith ymchwil diweddar gan y Brifysgol Agored yn dangos bod bron i chwarter y rhai mewn addysg uwch ran-amser yn defnyddio'u cynilion i dalu eu ffioedd dysgu, ac roedd chwarter arall yn ariannu eu haddysg drwy waith am dâl tra'u bod yn astudio. Ond mae'n destun pryder fod 17 y cant o ddysgwyr, yn ôl y Brifysgol Agored, wedi defnyddio dyled, gan gynnwys dyledion cardiau credyd, gorddrafftiau a benthyciadau diwrnod cyflog, i gyllido eu ffioedd dysgu. Mae'r ffigurau hyn yn dangos nad yw'r system bresennol yn gweithio i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser. Nid yw'n hygyrch, yn enwedig i rai sydd mewn gwaith ar gyflogau isel yn y rhannau mwyaf difreintiedig o Gymru. Rwy'n credu bod ganddynt heriau penodol y mae angen i ni eu helpu i'w goresgyn. Felly, mae gennym amharodrwydd i fynd i ddyled ymhlith myfyrwyr aeddfed, a chredaf fod hynny hefyd o bosibl yn cyfrannu at y gostyngiad yn nifer y bobl sydd wedi bod yn ymgymryd ag addysg uwch ran-amser, ac addysg bellach yn wir, yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Nawr, fe wyddom fod benthyciadau ôl-raddedig yn mynd i fod ar gael o fis Medi eleni. Credaf fod hynny'n beth i'w groesawu'n fawr, ond wrth gwrs, mae angen i ni wneud yn siŵr fod rhywfaint o sicrwydd y tu hwnt i'r flwyddyn academaidd nesaf ar gyfer y darpariaethau ôl-radd hynny, ac yn wir ar gyfer yr holl fyfyrwyr eraill ar ôl adolygiad Diamond. Yn y system bresennol, mae ceisiadau am fenthyciadau ar gyfer astudio rhan-amser ar agor i'w cyflwyno yn hwyrach na'r rhai ar gyfer astudio amser llawn, a rhaid gwneud y ceisiadau hyn drwy gyfrwng copïau caled yn hytrach nag ar-lein fel y gall myfyrwyr amser llawn ei wneud. Pam? Nid yw hynny'n hygyrch, nid yw'n dderbyniol, ac mae'n creu rhwystrau - rhwystrau ychwanegol - i bobl eu goresgyn. Ac ar gyfer myfyrwyr dysgu o bell ar hyn o bryd, mae'n arbennig o siomedig am eu bod yn wynebu oedi hir rhwng cofrestru ar gyfer cwrs a gallu gwneud cais am fenthyciad wedyn, a dyna pam ein bod yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu gwasanaeth cynghori ar yrfaoedd ac addysg i bob oedran, oherwydd ar hyn o bryd, nid yw darpar ddysgwyr sy'n oedolion yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt. Nid ydynt yn cael mynediad at y wybodaeth, cyngor ac arweiniad diduedd yn yr un modd â myfyrwyr amser llawn. Mae angen sicrhau hefyd fod yr opsiynau cyllid rhan-amser yn cael eu mynegi'n glir wrth y myfyrwyr hynny, fel y gall pobl fynd ati i ystyried y rheiny pan fyddant yn gwneud eu ceisiadau, er mwyn iddynt allu bod yn hyderus fod ganddynt adnoddau yn eu lle, nid yn unig ar gyfer y flwyddyn gyntaf y maent yn cychwyn ar eu cwrs, ond hyd at ddiwedd eu cyrsiau hefyd.