English: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. The twenty-first century schools and colleges programme is the biggest investment in our education estate since the 1960s, having already seen £1.5 billion investment to improve the learning environment for our children and young people. And since its launch in 2014, it's seen the delivery of 170 new or refurbishment projects under the first wave of the investment, and a further 200 projects are proposed under the second wave of investment, which began in 2019. Indeed, this financial year - 2020-21 - under the most difficult of circumstances, we will see the highest annual spend so far under the programme, of almost £300 million in our schools and colleges. Can I begin by welcoming the points that Siân Gwenllian made around excellence in all types of schools - small schools, large schools, primary, secondary and in our through schools? And it is that leadership and excellent teaching that really makes a difference. But, being able to do that in a building that is fit for purpose, I would argue, is also really important, and sends a very clear message to both our teachers and our children that their education and the work that goes on in those buildings is really important to us. Now, Caroline Jones also raised the issue of maintenance budgets for local authorities for schools. Can I just say, Caroline, above and beyond the twenty-first century programme, every single year I have been the Minister for Education, we have been able to provide local authorities across Wales with millions of pounds worth of additional maintenance moneys to support their schools? Indeed, only on Monday of this week, I announced an investment of £50 million to be shared between the local authorities of Wales precisely for this purpose of schools maintenance. Now, the success of the twenty-first century programme is a reflection of the partnership working which is key to its delivery, and it's important that our key stakeholders, local authorities, and colleges are strategic in their investment, and deliver the right schools and colleges in the right places to meet local community needs. And it's important that those decisions are made to benefit local communities, and that's why we have not been prescriptive, as school delivery models can and do differ between communities. As you well know, local authorities have the responsibility for planning school places to ensure that their children and young people have the very best environment in which to learn, and each one of those decisions will be unique to those communities, and I believe that our local authorities are best placed to understand what fits the needs for their learners. The school organisation code sets a high standard for consultation if there are changes to that pattern of delivery, and all of those with an interest have an opportunity to have their views heard and known, and for these to be taken into account when any major changes are proposed for schools. The code ensures that a range of factors are considered, primary of which is the interests of learners, but distance to travel is also a factor. I know that Members have expressed concerns that some local authorities are carrying out consultations under the school organisation code during this pandemic, and I would draw Members' attention to additional guidance that we have produced for local authorities on how they should go about such consultations during this pandemic. Siân Gwenllian raised the issue of the learner travel Measure, and she is right to point to the review. She raises an interesting issue with regard to what is deemed to be a suitable school and how language is not stated in those particular sections. Can I just say, I was fortunate enough to be on the committee that looked at that Measure when it came before the then Assembly? I think the Deputy Presiding Officer was on the committee with me at that time, and I'm sure the Deputy Presiding Officer could confirm that this issue was discussed, at length, as a potential approach but was rejected by the then Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, as being inappropriate, but the learner travel Measure gives us an opportunity to relook at those decisions. Now, the school organisation code not only recognises the potential for school closures but for those situations where schools should remain open, and in some circumstances, it is more appropriate for existing schools to be refurbished, remodelled or extended, and all of those things are possible under the twenty-first century schools programme. Members will also be aware that I have put in place special arrangements, when rural schools are considered, to ensure that the best decisions are made for learners in those settings. In order to support the delivery of the twenty-first century programme, we've also incorporated streams that look at childcare facilities, Welsh-medium delivery - and Suzy Davies is correct: when I think of the history of the development of Welsh-medium primary education in the town of Brecon, they were moved into a school that had been deemed unfit and had been left by the English-medium pupils, and that's where they found themselves. Now, fortunately, they have a new build, and during my time as Minister, we have provided 100 per cent capital funding for local authorities to build more Welsh-medium places. That fund was oversubscribed, and I am considering whether we can provide further assistance of this kind to support our aim for 1 million Welsh speakers. We also have a stream that has looked to reduce infant class sizes and to support faith-based education, and, where possible, to support the development of community hubs at school premises. So, no one funding model fits all, so we have a variety of ways in which we can support developments. We've already seen the positive impact that new and refurbished primary and secondary schools have made to learners, greatly enhancing their learning experience. And we've also seen that all-through schools are beneficial in certain community settings, allowing for a single leadership and management team, providing greater consistency of learning and teaching, and greater continuity and familiarity for the learner. However, we also recognise that policy guidance is needed to inform future decisions about the creation of all-age schools, and the aspects of pedagogy associated with them, well-being and leadership. All of those things need careful consideration, recognition and support, and that's why we're supporting the all-age schools network to undertake school-based research, and have done so since 2019, and an Estyn thematic survey of all-age schools to focus on the benefits and challenges of that all-age model. So, we're not ploughing on regardless; these are interesting new models that are being developed by local authorities of all political hues in Wales, and we're working with them to have research, to understand the benefits and the challenges of such models. I am, representing a rural constituency, very mindful of the impact that long journeys have on our children and pupils, but for a range of reasons, introducing a maximum travel time is not considered to be practically feasible, as Suzy Davies suggested. What might constitute an appropriate theoretical travel time in one local authority is very unlikely to be applicable for all. School investment is not just about providing buildings; it's about making them fit for purpose to deliver the best learning environment, and I'm really proud of how investment so far has improved facilities and has had a positive impact on learning, teaching and meeting the needs of local communities. And I'm really pleased that the partnership approach, with our local authorities and with our colleges, is working well and giving them the flexibility to identify the best learning solutions for their specific areas. But thank you very much for the opportunity to celebrate the success of the twenty-first century schools programme. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Rhaglen ysgolion a cholegau'r unfed ganrif ar hugain yw'r buddsoddiad mwyaf yn ein hystâd addysg ers y 1960au, ar ôl gweld buddsoddiad o £1.5 biliwn eisoes i wella'r amgylchedd dysgu i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc. Ac ers ei lansio yn 2014, fe'i gwelwyd yn cyflawni 170 o brosiectau newydd neu brosiectau adnewyddu o dan y don gyntaf o fuddsoddiad, ac mae 200 o brosiectau eraill wedi'u cynnig o dan yr ail don o fuddsoddiad, a ddechreuodd yn 2019. Yn wir, y flwyddyn ariannol hon - 2020-21 - o dan yr amgylchiadau anoddaf, gwelwn y gwariant blynyddol uchaf hyd yma o dan y rhaglen, sef bron i £300 miliwn o fuddsoddiad yn ein hysgolion a'n colegau. A gaf fi ddechrau drwy groesawu'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Siân Gwenllian am ragoriaeth ym mhob math o ysgol - ysgolion bach, ysgolion mawr, cynradd, uwchradd ac yn ein hysgolion pob oed? A'r arweinyddiaeth honno ac addysgu rhagorol sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn. Ond byddwn yn dadlau bod gallu gwneud hynny mewn adeilad sy'n addas i'r diben hefyd yn bwysig iawn, ac yn anfon neges glir iawn i'n hathrawon a'n plant fod eu haddysg a'r gwaith sy'n digwydd yn yr adeiladau hynny yn eithriadol o bwysig i ni. Nawr, nododd Caroline Jones fater cyllidebau cynnal a chadw awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer ysgolion. A gaf fi ddweud, Caroline, uwchlaw a thu hwnt i raglen yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, bob blwyddyn y bûm yn Weinidog Addysg, rydym wedi gallu rhoi gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd o arian cynnal a chadw ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru allu cefnogi eu hysgolion? Yn wir, ddydd Llun yr wythnos hon yn unig, cyhoeddais fuddsoddiad o £50 miliwn i'w rannu rhwng awdurdodau lleol Cymru ar gyfer yr union ddiben hwn, sef cynnal a chadw ysgolion. Nawr, mae llwyddiant rhaglen yr unfed ganrif ar hugain yn adlewyrchiad o'r gwaith partneriaeth sy'n allweddol i'w gyflawniad, ac mae'n bwysig fod ein rhanddeiliaid allweddol, awdurdodau lleol a cholegau yn strategol yn eu buddsoddiad, ac yn darparu'r ysgolion a'r colegau cywir yn y mannau cywir i ddiwallu anghenion cymunedol lleol. Ac mae'n bwysig fod y penderfyniadau hynny'n cael eu gwneud er budd cymunedau lleol, a dyna pam nad ydym wedi bod yn rhagnodol, gan y gall modelau darparu ysgolion amrywio o un gymuned i'r llall. Fel y gwyddoch yn iawn, awdurdodau lleol sy'n gyfrifol am gynllunio lleoedd mewn ysgolion i sicrhau bod gan eu plant a'u pobl ifanc yr amgylchedd gorau posibl i ddysgu ynddo, a bydd pob un o'r penderfyniadau'n unigryw i'r cymunedau hynny, a chredaf mai ein awdurdodau lleol sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i ddeall beth sy'n gweddu i anghenion eu dysgwyr. Mae'r cod trefniadaeth ysgolion yn gosod safon uchel ar gyfer ymgynghori os oes newidiadau i'r patrwm darparu, ac mae gan bawb sydd â diddordeb gyfle i sicrhau bod eu barn yn hysbys ac yn cael ei chlywed, ac iddi gael eu hystyried pan argymhellir unrhyw newidiadau mawr i ysgolion. Mae'r cod yn sicrhau bod ystod o ffactorau'n cael eu hystyried, a buddiannau dysgwyr yn flaenaf yn eu plith, ond mae pellter teithio hefyd yn ffactor. Gwn fod yr Aelodau wedi mynegi pryderon fod rhai awdurdodau lleol yn cynnal ymgynghoriadau o dan y cod trefniadaeth ysgolion yn ystod y pandemig hwn, a hoffwn dynnu sylw'r Aelodau at ganllawiau ychwanegol a gynhyrchwyd gennym i awdurdodau lleol ar sut y dylent fynd ati i gynnal ymgynghoriadau o'r fath yn ystod y pandemig hwn. Nododd Siân Gwenllian fater y Mesur teithio gan ddysgwyr, ac mae'n iawn i dynnu sylw at yr adolygiad. Mae'n nodi mater diddorol o ran yr hyn a ystyrir yn ysgol addas a sut na chaiff iaith ei nodi yn yr adrannau penodol hynny. A gaf fi ddweud, roeddwn yn ddigon ffodus i fod ar y pwyllgor a edrychodd ar y Mesur hwnnw pan ddaeth gerbron y Cynulliad ar y pryd? Rwy'n credu bod y Dirprwy Lywydd ar y pwyllgor gyda mi bryd hynny, ac rwy'n siŵr y gallai'r Dirprwy Lywydd gadarnhau bod y mater hwn wedi'i drafod yn helaeth fel dull posibl o weithredu ond fe'i gwrthodwyd gan y Gweinidog ar y pryd, Ieuan Wyn Jones, fel rhywbeth amhriodol, ond mae'r Mesur teithio gan ddysgwyr yn rhoi cyfle i ni ailedrych ar y penderfyniadau hynny. Nawr, mae cod trefniadaeth ysgolion nid yn unig yn cydnabod y potensial ar gyfer cau ysgolion ond ar gyfer y sefyllfaoedd lle dylai ysgolion aros ar agor, ac mewn rhai amgylchiadau, mae'n fwy priodol i ysgolion presennol gael eu hadnewyddu, eu hailfodelu neu eu hymestyn, ac mae'r holl bethau hynny'n bosibl o dan raglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Bydd yr Aelodau hefyd yn ymwybodol fy mod wedi rhoi trefniadau arbennig ar waith, pan gaiff ysgolion gwledig eu hystyried, i sicrhau bod y penderfyniadau gorau'n cael eu gwneud ar gyfer dysgwyr yn y lleoliadau hynny. Er mwyn cefnogi'r gwaith o gyflwyno rhaglen yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, rydym hefyd wedi ymgorffori ffrydiau sy'n edrych ar gyfleusterau gofal plant, darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg - ac mae Suzy Davies yn gywir: pan feddyliaf am hanes datblygu addysg gynradd cyfrwng Cymraeg yn nhref Aberhonddu, cawsant eu symud i ysgol a oedd wedi'i barnu'n anaddas ac wedi'i gadael gan y disgyblion cyfrwng Saesneg, a dyna lle roeddent. Nawr, yn ffodus, mae ganddynt adeilad newydd, ac yn ystod fy nghyfnod fel Gweinidog, rydym wedi darparu cyllid cyfalaf o 100 y cant i awdurdodau lleol adeiladu mwy o leoedd cyfrwng Cymraeg. Roedd mwy o alw nag y gellid darparu ar ei gyfer am y gronfa honno, ac rwy'n ystyried a allwn ddarparu cymorth pellach o'r math hwn i gefnogi ein nod i sicrhau 1 filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg. Mae gennym hefyd ffrwd sydd wedi ceisio lleihau maint dosbarthiadau babanod a chefnogi addysg ffydd, a lle bo'n bosibl, cefnogi datblygiad canolfannau cymunedol ar safleoedd ysgolion. Ni cheir un model ariannu sy'n addas i bawb, felly mae gennym amrywiaeth o ffyrdd o gefnogi datblygiadau. Rydym eisoes wedi gweld yr effaith gadarnhaol y mae ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd newydd ac wedi'u hadnewyddu wedi'i chael ar ddysgwyr, gan wella eu profiad dysgu yn fawr. Ac rydym hefyd wedi gweld bod ysgolion pob oed yn fuddiol mewn rhai lleoliadau cymunedol, gan ganiatáu ar gyfer un tîm arwain a rheoli, i ddarparu mwy o gysondeb dysgu ac addysgu, a mwy o barhad ac agosrwydd i'r dysgwr. Fodd bynnag, rydym hefyd yn cydnabod bod angen canllawiau polisi i lywio penderfyniadau yn y dyfodol ynghylch creu ysgolion pob oed, a'r agweddau ar addysgeg sy'n gysylltiedig â hwy, sef llesiant ac arweinyddiaeth. Mae angen ystyried, cydnabod a chefnogi'r holl bethau hynny'n ofalus, a dyna pam rydym yn cefnogi'r rhwydwaith ysgolion pob oed i gyflawni ymchwil mewn ysgolion, ac wedi gwneud hynny ers 2019, ac arolwg thematig gan Estyn o ysgolion pob oed i ganolbwyntio ar fanteision a heriau'r model oedran hwnnw. Felly, nid ydym yn bwrw yn ein blaenau'n ddall; mae'r rhain yn fodelau newydd diddorol sy'n cael eu datblygu gan awdurdodau lleol o bob lliw gwleidyddol yng Nghymru, ac rydym yn gweithio gyda hwy i gael ymchwil, i ddeall manteision a heriau modelau o'r fath. Gan fy mod yn cynrychioli etholaeth wledig, rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r effaith y mae teithiau hir yn ei chael ar ein plant a'n disgyblion, ond am amryw o resymau, nid ystyrir bod cyflwyno terfyn uchaf ar amser teithio yn arbennig o ymarferol, fel yr awgrymodd Suzy Davies. Mae'n annhebygol iawn y bydd yr hyn a allai fod yn amser teithio damcaniaethol priodol mewn un awdurdod lleol yn berthnasol i bawb. Mae buddsoddi mewn ysgolion yn ymwneud â mwy na darparu adeiladau'n unig; mae'n ymwneud â'u gwneud yn addas i'r diben o ddarparu'r amgylchedd dysgu gorau, ac rwy'n falch iawn o'r ffordd y mae buddsoddiad hyd yma wedi gwella cyfleusterau ac wedi cael effaith gadarnhaol ar ddysgu, addysgu a diwallu anghenion cymunedau lleol. Ac rwy'n falch iawn fod y dull partneriaeth, gyda'n hawdurdodau lleol a chyda'n colegau, yn gweithio'n dda ac yn rhoi hyblygrwydd iddynt nodi'r atebion dysgu gorau ar gyfer eu hardaloedd hwy. Ond diolch yn fawr am y cyfle i ddathlu llwyddiant rhaglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Diolch yn fawr.