English: I'd also like to focus on one other key area that came to light during our inquiry, and that was staffing capacity, or rather lack of, and how it is one of the biggest barriers to tackling pupil absence. As we heard, it is a problem that was made worse because of COVID-19 related staff absences, and difficulties in securing supply staff to cover, but there are other challenges too, linked to the draft budget, which we discussed yesterday. We've already been warned by teaching unions that school budgets are going to be under strain, with heads warning that they will have to look at cutting back on teachers and teaching assistants, as well as additional support for pupils and their families. However, our report concludes that there are already significant concerns about staffing capacity and resilience to support pupil attendance. Some of this was specifically in reference to supporting blended and flexible learning as well. Ultimately, there are specific groups of children and young people who face additional barriers to attending school, many of which they do not have control over. Blended learning, an innovation developed during the pandemic, may provide an effective option to help these groups of learners maintain attendance. A return to normal simply isn't going to work in this situation, and being able to use these innovative practices may help support those learners. Finally, I welcome the Minister's acceptance of the need to improve data collection as well as the publication and analysis of pupil absence data. The need for disaggregated data is crucial in identifying trends of absence for particular groups of learners. We need to send a clear message to all that, for pupils who attend school, attendance isn't optional, and if there are barriers that are affecting attendance, especially costs, then we need to urgently act. Education is a right and no child or young person should be losing even a day of school because their families can't afford for them to attend. I very much look forward to seeing the recommendations being implemented, and once again ask all who can help turn these into reality to urgently put them into action. Every day lost in school by a learner is a day that widens the attainment gap. We need to act now.
Welsh: Hoffwn hefyd ganolbwyntio ar un maes allweddol arall a ddaeth i'r amlwg yn ystod ein hymchwiliad, sef capasiti staffio, neu'n hytrach diffyg capasiti staffio, a sut mae'n un o'r rhwystrau mwyaf i fynd i'r afael ag absenoldeb disgyblion. Fel y clywsom, mae'n broblem a gafodd ei gwaethygu oherwydd absenoldebau staff yn sgil COVID-19, ac anawsterau i sicrhau staff cyflenwi, ond mae heriau eraill hefyd, yn gysylltiedig â'r gyllideb ddrafft, a drafodwyd gennym ddoe. Rydym eisoes wedi cael rhybudd gan undebau athrawon y bydd cyllidebau ysgolion dan straen, gyda phenaethiaid yn rhybuddio y bydd yn rhaid iddynt ystyried torri'n ôl ar athrawon a chynorthwywyr addysgu, yn ogystal â chymorth ychwanegol i ddisgyblion a'u teuluoedd. Fodd bynnag, daw ein hadroddiad i'r casgliad fod yna bryderon sylweddol eisoes ynghylch capasiti staffio a gwytnwch i gefnogi presenoldeb disgyblion. Roedd rhywfaint o hyn yn cyfeirio'n benodol at gefnogi dysgu cyfunol a hyblyg hefyd. Yn y pen draw, ceir grwpiau penodol o blant a phobl ifanc sy'n wynebu rhwystrau ychwanegol sy'n eu hatal rhag mynychu'r ysgol, nifer ohonynt nad oes ganddynt reolaeth drostynt. Gall dysgu cyfunol, newid a ddatblygwyd yn ystod y pandemig, gynnig opsiwn effeithiol i helpu'r grwpiau hyn o ddysgwyr i gynnal presenoldeb. Ni fydd dychwelyd i normal yn gweithio yn y sefyllfa hon, ac mae'n bosibl y bydd y gallu i ddefnyddio'r arferion newydd hyn yn helpu i gefnogi'r dysgwyr hynny. Yn olaf, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod y Gweinidog yn derbyn yr angen i wella'r gwaith o gasglu data yn ogystal â chyhoeddi a dadansoddi data ar absenoldeb disgyblion. Mae'r angen am ddata wedi'i ddadgyfuno yn hanfodol er mwyn nodi tueddiadau absenoldeb ar gyfer grwpiau penodol o ddysgwyr. Mae angen inni anfon neges glir at bawb nad yw presenoldeb yn opsiynol i ddisgyblion sy'n mynychu'r ysgol, ac os oes rhwystrau sy'n effeithio ar bresenoldeb, yn enwedig costau, mae angen inni weithredu ar frys. Mae addysg yn hawl ac ni ddylai unrhyw blentyn na pherson ifanc golli diwrnod o ysgol am nad yw eu teuluoedd yn gallu fforddio iddynt fynychu. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weld yr argymhellion yn cael eu gweithredu, ac unwaith eto rwy'n gofyn i bawb sy'n gallu helpu i wireddu'r argymhellion hyn eu gweithredu ar frys. Mae pob diwrnod sy'n cael ei golli yn yr ysgol gan ddysgwr yn ddiwrnod sy'n ehangu'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. Mae angen inni weithredu nawr.