English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's wonderful to see so many young people watching us today in the Chamber - a warm welcome to you. We all know how important school attendance is in terms of children and young people's attainment and well-being, as you noted in your statement. And as one who was in the past a school governor with responsibility for school attendance, I know how challenging it can be for schools, and that teachers across the country are trying all sorts of diverse approaches to ensure that school attendance levels are as high as possible. It's important to bear in mind that there are very valid reasons why some children don't attend school. I met a parent who wanted her children's school to scrap a system that rewarded attendance because one of her children had a medical condition that meant that he missed a number of school days because of medical appointments and treatment. Her child felt a failure because of the ongoing messaging within the school on the importance of school attendance and cried if they had to miss a day's school - something that had to happen on a weekly basis. I'm pleased to hear the Minister, in terms of the fixed-penalty notices, emphasising that a valid reason would need to be taken into account. Can I ask, therefore, what assessment has been made of the efficacy of the fixed-penalty notice system, and whether any changes have been made to the guidance published in 2013? Because, after all, we have heard stories about parents being given a fixed-penalty notice despite the fact that they have valid reasons. The Prosecuting Parents report said that prosecuting parents can be pointless and damaging. The majority that responded to a survey from Prosecuting Parents noted, because of their children's attendance, most refused to go to school because of behavioural, neurological or, as has been referred to, mental health problems, and that they had had problems in getting CAMHS appointments and so forth, and relevant support for their children. Every parent that responded to that survey wanted to see their children attend school, but they said that it was often impossible, because the response was so extreme in terms of fear and anxiety, failure to sleep, self-harm and so on, that it was very traumatic for those parents and carers in trying to get those children to school. And also the children were bullied, sometimes because of their inability to go to school, because of a medical condition and so on. I do think that it's extremely important that we do get this right as you encourage local authorities to give fixed-penalty notices once again. We can't be punishing parents and carers in this situation when there is grave need for more services to support these children and young people. We also know that the cost-of-living crisis is having a grave impact in terms of school attendance at times. We've referred to it in the past and we know that absences are higher on dressing-up days, such as World Book Day. We also know that if parents are having problems paying for the bus, if the child misses the bus to school, that can be another reason. Also, some parents can only afford to take their children on holiday during the school term. Many headteachers are very sensitive to that if attendance has been high otherwise, but we have to acknowledge that children have a right to have fun and a holiday, not just education, and that families are under huge pressures. We have to therefore ensure that any strategy and any communication is handled sensitively in terms of those where there are good reasons for lack of attendance, and where attendance of any kind, for example, a child with a number of medical appointments, is something to be celebrated. School targets must take such pupils into account, including the support available for learners and their parents. You made specific reference in terms of Estyn's key role in this and I very much hope that they will ensure that schools will be able to record the range of reasons why a learner may be absent so that we can better understand what the problems are. You referred in your statement to the investment that was allocated to year 11 students particularly. Clearly, this is a cause of concern and it's good to see that expenditure has been allocated for this. Could the Minister outline how that money was spent and how effective that spending was in terms of improving attendance? And has any assessment been made of this? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae'n hyfryd gweld cymaint o blant ifanc yn ein gwylio ni y prynhawn yma yn y Siambr - croeso i chi. Gwyddom oll pa mor bwysig yw presenoldeb ysgol o ran cyrhaeddiad a lles plant a phobl ifanc, fel y gwnaethoch ei nodi yn y datganiad. A fel rhywun a fu yn y gorffennol yn lywodraethwraig ysgol gyda chyfrifoldeb am bresenoldeb, gwn hefyd pa mor heriol y gall fod i ysgolion, a bod athrawon ledled y wlad yn ceisio llu o ffyrdd amrywiol a gwahanol i sicrhau bod lefelau presenoldeb mor uchel â phosib. Mae'n bwysig hefyd cofio bod rhesymau dilys iawn pam bod rhai plant yn peidio â mynd i'r ysgol. Cyfarfûm â rhiant oedd eisiau i ysgol roedd ei phlant ynddi ddiddymu system a oedd yn gwobrwyo presenoldeb gan fod gan un o'i phlant gyflwr meddygol oedd yn golygu ei fod yn colli nifer o ddyddiau ysgol oherwydd apwyntiadau a thriniaethau meddygol. Roedd ei phlentyn yn teimlo'n fethiant oherwydd y negeseuon parhaus yn yr ysgol am bwysigrwydd presenoldeb ac yn crio os oedd yn rhaid iddyn nhw golli diwrnod o ysgol - rhywbeth a oedd yn gorfod digwydd yn wythnosol. Dwi'n falch o glywed y Gweinidog, o ran yr hysbysiadau cosb benodedig, yn pwysleisio bod rheswm dilys angen cael ei gymryd i ystyriaeth. A gaf i ofyn, felly, pa asesiad sydd wedi'i wneud o effeithiolrwydd y system cosb benodedig, ac oes yna unrhyw newidiadau wedi'u gwneud i ganllawiau 2013? Oherwydd, wedi'r cyfan, mi ydyn ni wedi clywed straeon am rieni yn derbyn y gosb yma er gwaethaf y ffaith bod rhesymau dilys. Awgrymodd adroddiad Erlyn Rhieni y gall bygwth ac erlyn rhieni fod yn ddibwrpas ac yn niweidiol. Ac mi oedd y mwyafrif a wnaeth ymateb i arolwg gan Erlyn Rhieni yn nodi, oherwydd absenoldeb eu plant, fod y mwyafrif yn gwrthod mynd i'r ysgol oherwydd bod ganddyn nhw anawsterau ymddygiadol, niwrolegol neu, fel y cyfeiriwyd ato eisoes, iechyd meddwl gwael, a'u bod nhw wedi cael trafferth cael apwyntiadau CAMHS ac ati a chefnogaeth i'w plant. Roedd pob rhiant wnaeth ymateb i'r arolwg hwnnw yn dymuno cael eu plant i'r ysgol, ond mi oedden nhw'n dweud yn aml ei bod hi'n amhosib, oherwydd bod yr adwaith mor eithafol o ran ofn a gorbryder, methu cysgu, hunan-niweidio ac ati, ei bod hi'n drawmatig ofnadwy i'r rhieni a'r gofalwyr hynny o ran ceisio cael eu plant i'r ysgol. Hefyd bod plant yn cael eu bwlio oherwydd, efallai, anallu mynd i'r ysgol, oherwydd cyflwr meddygol ac ati. Dwi'n meddwl ei bod hi'n eithriadol o bwysig ein bod ni'n cael hyn yn iawn wrth ichi fod yn annog awdurdodau unwaith eto i fod yn rhoi hysbysiadau cosb benodedig. Fedrwn ni ddim bod yn cosbi rhieni a gofalwyr yn y sefyllfa fan hyn pan fod dirfawr angen mwy o wasanaethau i gefnogi'r plant a phobl ifanc yma. Mi wyddom ni hefyd fod yr argyfwng costau byw yn cael effaith mawr o ran presenoldeb ar adegau. Rydyn ni wedi cyfeirio ato yn y gorffennol, rydyn ni'n gwybod bod absenoldebau'n uwch ar ddiwrnodau gwisgo, fel Diwrnod y Llyfr, ac ati. Rydyn ni hefyd yn gwybod os ydy rhieni'n cael trafferth o ran talu am gostau bws, os ydy plentyn wedi colli bws i'r ysgol, fod hwnna, weithiau, yn rheswm. Hefyd, mae rhai rhieni dim ond yn gallu fforddio mynd â phlant ar wyliau, rŵan, yn ystod y tymor ysgol. Mae nifer o brifathrawon yn sensitif iawn o ran hynny os ydy presenoldeb wedi bod yn uchel fel arall, ond mae'n rhaid inni gydnabod bod gan blant yr hawl i gael hwyl a gwyliau hefyd, nid dim ond addysg, a bod teuluoedd dan straen aruthrol. Mae'n rhaid sicrhau, felly, fod unrhyw strategaeth a chyfathrebiad yn sensitif o ran y rhai hynny lle mae rhesymau dilys iawn o ran colli'r ysgol, a lle mae presenoldeb o unrhyw fath, megis i blentyn sydd â nifer o apwyntiadau meddygol, yn rhywbeth i'w ddathlu. Rhaid bod targedau pob ysgol yn cymryd disgyblion o'r fath i ystyriaeth, gan gynnwys y gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i ddysgwyr a'u rhieni. Fe gyfeirioch yn benodol at rôl allweddol Estyn yn hyn, a mawr obeithiaf y byddant yn sicrhau bod modd i ysgolion gofnodi yr ystod o resymau pam fod dysgwr yn absennol i ni ddeall yn well pam fod problem. Fe gyfeirioch yn y datganiad at y buddsoddiad gafodd ei neilltuo ar gyfer dysgwyr blwyddyn 11 yn benodol. Yn amlwg, mae hyn yn destun pryder a da gweld bod gwariant penodol wedi ei neilltuo ar ei gyfer. Fyddai'r Gweinidog yn gallu amlinellu sut cafodd yr arian hwn ei wario a pha mor effeithiol oedd y gwariant o ran gwella presenoldeb? Ac oes asesiad wedi ei wneud o hyn? Diolch.