English: Most importantly of all, we also know that for some children and young people, this has been a really isolating experience. They've missed their friends, they've missed their families, and they've missed vital milestones like exams, school leavers' celebrations, proms, to name just a few. We noted our disappointment that the Welsh Government's preferred option of taking an earlier school summer holiday and returning in August could not be agreed with trade unions. We are also very disappointed that, despite the hard work of the Minister, school leaders and staff, the fourth week proposed for schools to check in, catch up and prepare children for the autumn term has not happened in many parts of Wales. Given the very real possibility of a second wave of coronavirus in the autumn, it is crucial that lessons are learned from the recent challenges agreeing arrangements for the return to school. When schools closed in March, it was an emergency, but it will not be an emergency in the autumn. Children's well-being must be at the centre of decisions relating to schools, and we urge the Welsh Government and the sector to work together to be adaptable, bold and innovative in the face of what remains a global pandemic. Children across Wales must have consistently high-quality contact with their teachers, and opportunities to progress their education must be maximised for all children in Wales. This will also enable schools to play their vital part in the whole-system approach to supporting the mental health and well-being of children and young people that I am so pleased is being rolled out now in Wales. The visibility of, and support available for, our most vulnerable children has been a major cause of concern for us. Schools are a crucial safety net for many children, and we've been really concerned by the relatively low numbers of vulnerable children who've been attending school hubs, despite the Government's efforts. While we welcomed the range of steps taken and the cross-governmental approach adopted to support vulnerable children, we remain concerned that important and potentially grave issues may have been missed because of children being unseen during this period. It is also crucial to recognise that many children may actually have become vulnerable during lockdown. For too many children, home is not a refuge. We've also spoken directly with children and young people in care and those in the BAME community to learn about their experiences of COVID, and we believe that, in the next phase of managing the pandemic, more attention is needed on how we support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society, many of whom have been shown to be disproportionately affected by the virus. The committee believes that vulnerable children and those at risk of becoming vulnerable due to the pandemic must be a priority. Children have been largely hidden and voiceless in this pandemic, and it is incumbent upon all of us in this Chamber to be their voice. I mentioned, in my opening remarks, that children and young people have, mercifully, been less susceptible to the virus than adults. Nevertheless, the impact on their mental health has been a huge concern. It is clear from the evidence we've received that many of the feelings young people have been experiencing, such as anxiety, stress and loneliness, are a natural response to the pandemic. There is a very important balance to be struck between recognising and supporting mental health problems and not medicalising entirely natural responses to a pandemic that is frightening and traumatic for us all. But the importance of children and young people knowing where they can go for help is clear and even more vital when familiar places such as schools and doctors' surgeries are less accessible. The committee believes this makes the implementation of our 'Mind over matter' recommendations more important and urgent than ever. Welsh Government must urgently address the gaps in services for those children and young people who need support but who don't meet the threshold for child and adolescent mental health services - the so-called missing middle. We call on Welsh Government to continue to prioritise implementation of all our 'Mind over matter' recommendations, and we will return to our follow-up work on that inquiry at the earliest available opportunity. In many circumstances, particularly in relation to mental health, face-to-face interaction remains a vital component of support. Service design must have children and young people at the very centre and must recognise individual needs. One size does not fit all. As a committee, we were deeply concerned that while the physical health needs of the population were necessarily a priority in the early stages of the pandemic, we were told services to support children's mental health and well-being were exposed to the risk of deprioritisation. Recognising the very real possibility of a second wave, Welsh Government must set out the clear steps it will take to ensure that children's mental health services are protected and funded sufficiently to avoid the long-term consequences that would follow from a lack of specialist support. Turning now to further and higher education, evidence presented to us highlighted the deeply worrying financial impact of losses of student fees and other university income, the increased risk of university insolvency and the considerable likelihood of staff redundancies. We've heard concerns that the Welsh Government have not allocated additional funding to providers or the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for the 2020-21 academic year, and there are currently no publicly stated plans to do so. We have also heard concerns that there are currently no plans for any additional Government financial allocations of support for students who may be experiencing hardship because of the pandemic, and uncertainty also remains about how courses will be delivered and what the blend of online and face-to-face teaching and assessment will be. For further education, blended learning and ensuring that staff get the professional learning they need to deliver this were raised with us as challenges. In closing, acting Deputy Presiding Officer, closely monitoring developments over the summer will be a priority for the committee. We intend to continue timely and constructive scrutiny of the response to COVID to ensure that children and young people are at the heart of all decisions. We are conscious that the return to school in September will need to be managed carefully and safely, but the committee has been clear in its view that opportunities for children and young people to have face-to-face contact with staff must be maximised for their physical and mental well-being, as well as for their education. The First Minister has been clear throughout this pandemic that there is more than one harm from coronavirus. We agree and we call on the Welsh Government to ensure that mitigating the harm and collateral damage to children from this pandemic is a top priority. Thank you.
Welsh: Yn bwysicaf oll, rydym ni hefyd yn gwybod bod hwn wedi bod yn brofiad sydd wedi ynysu rhai plant a phobl ifanc yn wirioneddol. Bu ganddyn nhw hiraeth ar ôl eu ffrindiau, hiraeth ar ôl eu teuluoedd, ac maen nhw wedi methu cerrig milltir hanfodol megis arholiadau, dathliadau gadael yr ysgol, proms, i enwi dim ond rhai. Nodwyd ein siom na ellid cytuno gydag undebau llafur ar yr opsiwn a ffafriwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru o gymryd gwyliau haf cynharach a dychwelyd i'r ysgol ym mis Awst. Rydym ni hefyd yn siomedig iawn nad yw'r bedwaredd wythnos a gynigiwyd i ysgolion i ailgydio, dal i fyny a pharatoi'r plant ar gyfer tymor yr hydref wedi digwydd mewn sawl rhan o Gymru, er gwaethaf gwaith caled y Gweinidog. O ystyried y posibilrwydd real iawn o ail don o'r coronafeirws yn yr hydref, mae'n hanfodol bod gwersi yn cael eu dysgu o'r heriau diweddar yn cytuno ar drefniadau ar gyfer dychwelyd i'r ysgol. Pan gaeodd ysgolion ym mis Mawrth, roedd yn argyfwng, ond ni fydd yn argyfwng yn yr hydref. Mae'n rhaid i les plant fod yn ganolog i benderfyniadau yn ymwneud ag ysgolion, ac rydym ni'n annog Llywodraeth Cymru a'r sector i weithio gyda'i gilydd i fod yn hyblyg, yn feiddgar ac yn arloesol yn wyneb yr hyn sy'n dal i fod yn bandemig byd-eang. Mae'n rhaid i blant ledled Cymru gael cyswllt cyson o safon uchel gyda'u hathrawon, ac mae'n rhaid sicrhau cymaint â phosibl o gyfleoedd i holl blant Cymru ddatblygu eu haddysg. Bydd hyn hefyd yn galluogi ysgolion i chwarae eu rhan hanfodol yn y dull system gyfan o gefnogi iechyd meddwl a lles plant a phobl ifanc yr wyf i mor falch sy'n cael ei gyflwyno yng Nghymru nawr. Mae amlygrwydd ein plant mwyaf agored i niwed a'r cymorth sydd ar gael iddyn nhw wedi bod yn achos pryder sylweddol i ni. Mae ysgolion yn rhwyd ddiogelwch hanfodol i lawer o blant, ac mae'r niferoedd cymharol isel o blant agored i niwed sydd wedi bod yn mynychu hybiau ysgol, er gwaethaf ymdrechion y Llywodraeth, wedi peri pryder gwirioneddol i ni. Er i ni groesawu'r amrywiaeth o gamau a gymerwyd a'r dull trawslywodraethol a fabwysiadwyd i gynorthwyo plant agored i niwed, rydym ni'n dal yn bryderus y gallai problemau pwysig a difrifol fod wedi cael eu methu oherwydd bod plant yn anweledig yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Mae hefyd yn hanfodol cydnabod y gallai llawer o blant fod wedi dod yn agored i niwed yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud. I ormod o blant, nid yw'r cartref yn lloches. Rydym ni hefyd wedi siarad yn uniongyrchol â phlant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal a'r rhai yn y gymuned pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig i ddysgu am eu profiadau o COVID, ac rydym ni'n credu, yng nghyfnod nesaf rheoli'r pandemig, bod angen mwy o sylw i sut yr ydym ni'n cynorthwyo'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed a difreintiedig yn ein cymdeithas, y dangoswyd bod y feirws wedi effeithio ar lawer ohonyn nhw yn anghymesur. Mae'r pwyllgor yn credu bod yn rhaid i blant agored i niwed a'r rhai sydd mewn perygl o fod yn agored i niwed oherwydd y pandemig fod yn flaenoriaeth. Mae plant wedi bod yn gudd ac yn ddi-lais i raddau helaeth yn y pandemig hwn, ac mae'n ddyletswydd ar bob un ohonom ni yn y Siambr hon i fod yn llais iddyn nhw. Soniais, yn fy sylwadau agoriadol, bod plant a phobl ifanc, diolch byth, wedi bod yn llai agored i'r feirws nag oedolion. Serch hynny, mae'r effaith ar eu hiechyd meddwl wedi bod yn destun pryder mawr. Mae'n amlwg o'r dystiolaeth yr ydym ni wedi ei chael bod llawer o'r teimladau y mae pobl ifanc wedi bod yn eu cael, fel pryder, straen ac unigrwydd, yn ymateb naturiol i'r pandemig. Mae angen taro cydbwysedd pwysig iawn rhwng cydnabod a chynorthwyo problemau iechyd meddwl a pheidio â meddygoli ymatebion cwbl naturiol i bandemig sy'n frawychus ac yn drawmatig i bob un ohonom ni. Ond mae'r pwysigrwydd bod plant a phobl ifanc yn gwybod lle y gallan nhw fynd i gael cymorth yn eglur ac yn bwysicach fyth pan fydd lleoedd cyfarwydd fel ysgolion a meddygfeydd yn llai hygyrch. Mae'r pwyllgor yn credu bod gweithredu ein hargymhellion 'Cadernid meddwl' yn bwysicach ac yn fwy brys nag erioed. Mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru roi sylw brys i'r bylchau mewn gwasanaethau i'r plant a'r bobl ifanc hynny sydd angen cymorth ond nad ydyn nhw'n bodloni'r trothwy ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl plant a'r glasoed - y canol coll fel y'i gelwir. Rydym ni'n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i barhau i roi blaenoriaeth i weithredu ein holl argymhellion 'Cadernid meddwl', a byddwn yn dychwelyd at ein gwaith dilynol ar yr ymchwiliad hwnnw ar y cyfle cyntaf posibl. O dan lawer o amgylchiadau, yn enwedig o ran iechyd meddwl, mae rhyngweithio wyneb yn wyneb yn parhau i fod yn elfen hanfodol o gymorth. Mae'n rhaid i gynlluniau gwasanaethau sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc yn gwbl ganolog iddyn nhw ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gydnabod anghenion unigol. Nid yw un ateb yn addas i bawb. Fel pwyllgor, roeddem ni'n bryderus iawn, er bod anghenion iechyd corfforol y boblogaeth o reidrwydd yn flaenoriaeth yn ystod cyfnod cynnar y pandemig, dywedwyd wrthym ni fod gwasanaethau i gefnogi iechyd meddwl a lles plant yn agored i'r risg o ddadflaenoriaethu. Gan gydnabod y posibilrwydd gwirioneddol o ail don, mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru nodi'r camau eglur y bydd yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl plant yn cael eu diogelu a'u hariannu yn ddigonol i osgoi'r canlyniadau hirdymor a fyddai'n deillio o ddiffyg cymorth arbenigol. Gan droi nawr at addysg bellach ac uwch, dangosodd tystiolaeth a gyflwynwyd i ni effaith ariannol hynod bryderus colli ffioedd myfyrwyr ac incwm arall prifysgolion, y risg uwch o ansolfedd prifysgolion a'r tebygolrwydd sylweddol y bydd staff yn colli eu swyddi. Rydym ni wedi clywed pryderon nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu cyllid ychwanegol i ddarparwyr na Chyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru ar gyfer blwyddyn academaidd 2020-21, ac ar hyn o bryd nid oes unrhyw gynlluniau wedi'u datgan yn gyhoeddus i wneud hynny. Rydym ni hefyd wedi clywed pryderon nad oes cynlluniau ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer unrhyw ddyraniadau ariannol ychwanegol gan y Llywodraeth ar gyfer myfyrwyr a allai fod yn dioddef caledi oherwydd y pandemig, ac mae ansicrwydd hefyd yn parhau ynghylch sut y bydd cyrsiau yn cael eu darparu a beth fydd y cyfuniad o addysgu ac asesu ar-lein ac wyneb yn wyneb. Ar gyfer addysg bellach, codwyd dysgu cyfunol a sicrhau bod staff yn cael y dysgu proffesiynol sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i ddarparu hyn gyda ni fel heriau. I gloi, Dirprwy Lywydd dros dro, bydd monitro datblygiadau yn ofalus dros yr haf yn flaenoriaeth i'r pwyllgor. Rydym ni'n bwriadu parhau i graffu yn amserol ac yn adeiladol ar yr ymateb i COVID i sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc yn ganolog i bob penderfyniad. Rydym ni'n ymwybodol y bydd angen rheoli'r dychweliad i'r ysgol ym mis Medi yn ofalus ac yn ddiogel, ond mae'r pwyllgor wedi datgan yn eglur ei safbwynt bod yn rhaid sicrhau cymaint â phosibl o gyfleoedd i blant a phobl ifanc gael cyswllt wyneb yn wyneb â staff ar gyfer eu lles corfforol a meddyliol, yn ogystal ag ar gyfer eu haddysg. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi bod yn eglur drwy gydol y pandemig hwn bod mwy nag un niwed o coronafeirws. Rydym ni'n cytuno ac rydym ni'n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod lliniaru'r niwed uniongyrchol a chyfochrog i blant o'r pandemig hwn yn brif flaenoriaeth. Diolch.