English: Diolch, Lywydd. I want to formally move the amendments tabled in the name of Paul Davies. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to speak in today's debate, and I want to put on record my thanks to Estyn, as well, for the work that they do across Wales. Their inspections, of course, do provide us with a very valuable snapshot of what's taking place in our schools across the country, and, indeed, in further education and early years settings. That report that they publish on an annual basis gives us the opportunity to take a look - zoom out, if you like - at the whole of the education system, in an overview. I'm very pleased, actually, that the Cabinet Secretary took a realistic view of what the report had to say. She wasn't particularly chirpy today - she often is outside this Chamber - but she did highlight some of the good news that was in the report, and there is good news that we can celebrate, particularly in terms of leadership in early years, and leadership, indeed, in the further education sector, as well. But the concerning thing for me in this Estyn report was that there are echoes of problems that should've been resolved by now - things that have been highlighted by Estyn before and, indeed, by other agencies before that are still turning up, time and time again in these reports. Our amendment seeks to draw some attention to these. You've made reference to some of these already, of course, in your opening speech. Our first amendment focuses on the quality and variability of teaching. We know that Estyn has concluded that that is the weakest aspect of provision across sectors in the Welsh education system, and it has the biggest influence on learner outcomes. So, we have to get to grips with this issue, once and for all, and I know, Cabinet Secretary, to be fair to you, you've made some initial steps to get some improvement. I'm very pleased that we've got some new professional standards that have been developed, although I still cannot understand why it's not the Education Workforce Council that's setting those standards, and why you still feel that it's necessary, as a Government, to do that, in spite of the fact that that is not the practice in most other jurisdictions. I also note as well that you are taking steps to improve initial teacher training and I'll be looking forward to hearing more details about your specific proposals on that in the future. Of course, it was depressing - very depressing indeed - to see that Wales was at the bottom of the UK PISA league tables and, indeed, in the bottom half of the global league tables, and in a position that was worse this time around than the position we were in 10 years ago. We've got to step up the change in order to get up that league table and learn from the best. So, I'm pleased to hear you making references, as well, to learning from international centres of excellence in other countries in order that we get our situation right. There are things that schools, of course, can do in order to improve the opportunities for teachers to develop their skills and to take part in continuing professional development. Much of that they will be able to do if they're freed up from some of the bureaucracy that they currently have to face and that's why we were very welcoming of the recommendation in the OECD report that we needed to make use of more business managers in our schools. I know that that's a view that you also share. But, of course, the OECD also said that there needed to be a much stronger leadership from the Government in terms of the clarity about the vision for the future and how you're actually going to get there. I know that you are seeking to address that particular recommendation and you held a conference last week looking at some of these particular things and trying to highlight the role that schools, headteachers, the regional consortia and others have to actually play. You mentioned trying to get teachers into the profession as well, and I wonder what consideration you've given to making it easier for people to transition from other careers into the teaching sector, if they've got the propensity to be good teachers, and the potential to be good teachers. I'd be very interested to hear from you on that. With regard to leadership, I was particularly struck by the excellence that we've seen in leadership, particularly in the FE sector, in the report. And, of course, there was an award given to Coleg Cambria's David Jones just last week, which also recognised his leadership skills. I wonder whether there's an opportunity, actually, to cross-fertilise between the different parts of the education sector in order to up-skill our leaders and to take advantage of some of that expertise, particularly in those larger organisations, the larger schools where there can perhaps be something done to stretch people a little bit more and develop those skills. I think also, just in terms of the abilities of more able and talented pupils, we know that this is something that we also need to focus on. That's one of the reasons why our PISA scores weren't as good as they should have been and this is, again, something that's repeated in the Estyn report. I also appreciate that Llyr is going to be talking about other pupils and pupil referral units, for example, but we clearly need to make sure that all of our pupils reach their maximum potential. I wonder, Cabinet Secretary, whether you will tell us a little bit more about your plans for more able and talented pupils, not just the Seren programme, but what else can be done in order to get those people, those younger people in particular, up there, reaching their full potential, and making sure that we do go up those league tables in the future. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Rwyf eisiau cynnig y gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd yn enw Paul Davies yn ffurfiol. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn o gael y cyfle i siarad yn y ddadl hon heddiw, ac rwyf eisiau cofnodi fy niolch i Estyn, hefyd, am y gwaith y mae'n ei wneud ledled Cymru. Mae ei arolygiadau, wrth gwrs, yn rhoi cipolwg gwerthfawr iawn i ni ar yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn ein hysgolion ledled y wlad, ac, yn wir, mewn lleoliadau addysg bellach a'r blynyddoedd cynnar. Mae'r adroddiad hwnnw y mae'n ei gyhoeddi yn flynyddol yn rhoi cyfle i ni edrych - ar y darlun mawr, os mynnwch chi - ar y system addysg gyfan, mewn trosolwg. Rwy'n falch iawn, mewn gwirionedd, bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cymryd safbwynt realistig o'r hyn a oedd gan yr adroddiad i'w ddweud. Nid oedd hi'n arbennig o hapus heddiw - mae hi'n aml felly y tu allan i'r Siambr hon - ond fe wnaeth hi dynnu sylw at ran o'r newyddion da a oedd yn yr adroddiad, ac mae yno newyddion da y gallwn ei ddathlu, yn enwedig o ran arweinyddiaeth yn y blynyddoedd cynnar, ac arweinyddiaeth, yn wir, yn y sector addysg bellach, hefyd. Ond yr hyn a oedd yn achosi pryder i mi yn yr adroddiad hwn gan Estyn oedd bod adleisiau o broblemau a ddylai fod wedi eu datrys erbyn hyn - pethau sydd wedi cael eu hamlygu gan Estyn o'r blaen ac, yn wir, gan asiantaethau eraill cyn hynny, sy'n dal i godi, dro ar ôl tro yn yr adroddiadau hyn. Mae ein gwelliant ni yn ceisio tynnu rhywfaint o sylw at y rhain. Rydych chi wedi cyfeirio at rai o'r rhain eisoes, wrth gwrs, yn eich araith agoriadol. Mae ein gwelliant cyntaf yn canolbwyntio ar ansawdd ac amrywioldeb yr addysgu. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod Estyn wedi dod i'r casgliad mai dyna'r agwedd wannaf ar y ddarpariaeth ar draws sectorau yn y system addysg yng Nghymru, a dyna sy'n cael y dylanwad mwyaf ar ddeilliannau dysgwyr. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn, unwaith ac am byth, ac rwy'n gwybod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i fod yn deg i chi, eich bod wedi cymryd rhai camau cychwynnol i sicrhau rhywfaint o welliant. Rwy'n falch iawn bod gennym ni rai safonau proffesiynol newydd, sydd wedi'u datblygu, er nad wyf yn deall o hyd pam nad y Cyngor Gweithlu Addysg sy'n pennu'r safonau hynny, a pham yr ydych yn dal i deimlo ei bod yn angenrheidiol, fel Llywodraeth, i wneud hynny, er gwaethaf y ffaith nad dyna yw'r arfer yn y rhan fwyaf o awdurdodaethau eraill. Nodaf hefyd eich bod yn cymryd camau i wella hyfforddiant cychwynnol athrawon a byddaf yn edrych ymlaen at glywed mwy o fanylion am eich cynigion penodol ar hynny yn y dyfodol. Wrth gwrs, roedd hi'n ddigalon - yn ddigalon iawn - gweld bod Cymru ar waelod tablau cynghrair PISA y DU ac, yn wir, yn hanner isaf y tablau cynghrair byd-eang, ac mewn sefyllfa a oedd yn waeth y tro hwn na'r sefyllfa yr oeddem ni ynddi 10 mlynedd yn ôl. Mae'n rhaid i ni gyflymu'r newid er mwyn dringo i fyny'r tabl cynghrair a dysgu oddi wrth y gorau. Felly, rwy'n falch o'ch clywed chi'n cyfeirio hefyd at ddysgu oddi wrth ganolfannau rhagoriaeth rhyngwladol mewn gwledydd eraill er mwyn cael ein sefyllfa ni yn iawn. Mae yna bethau y gall ysgolion, wrth gwrs, eu gwneud i wella'r cyfleoedd i athrawon ddatblygu eu sgiliau a chymryd rhan mewn datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus. Byddant yn gallu gwneud llawer o hynny os cânt eu rhyddhau o rywfaint o'r fiwrocratiaeth y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw ei hwynebu ar hyn o bryd a dyna pam yr ydym ni'n rhoi cryn groeso i'r argymhelliad yn adroddiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd bod angen i ni wneud defnydd o fwy o reolwyr busnes yn ein hysgolion. Gwn fod honno'n farn yr ydych chithau'n ei rhannu hefyd. Ond, wrth gwrs, dywedodd y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd hefyd bod angen arweiniad llawer cryfach gan y Llywodraeth o ran yr eglurder ynghylch y weledigaeth ar gyfer y dyfodol a sut yn union yr ydych chi'n mynd i gyrraedd yno. Gwn eich bod yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â'r argymhelliad penodol hwnnw ac fe wnaethoch gynnal cynhadledd yr wythnos ddiwethaf yn edrych ar rai o'r pethau penodol hyn a cheisio tynnu sylw at y swyddogaeth sydd gan ysgolion, penaethiaid, y consortia rhanbarthol ac eraill i'w cyflawni mewn gwirionedd. Soniasoch am geisio cael athrawon i mewn i'r proffesiwn hefyd, a tybed pa ystyriaeth yr ydych chi wedi ei rhoi i'w gwneud yn haws i bobl drosglwyddo o yrfaoedd eraill i'r sector dysgu, os oes ganddynt y tueddfryd i fod yn athrawon da, a'r potensial i fod yn athrawon da. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mawr mewn clywed gennych ynghylch hynny. O ran arweinyddiaeth, cefais fy nharo yn benodol gan y rhagoriaeth yr ydym wedi'i weld mewn arweinyddiaeth, yn enwedig yn y sector addysg bellach, yn yr adroddiad. Ac, wrth gwrs, rhoddwyd gwobr i David Jones o Goleg Cambria yr wythnos diwethaf, a oedd hefyd yn cydnabod ei sgiliau arweinyddiaeth. Tybed a oes cyfle, mewn gwirionedd, i'r gwahanol rannau o'r sector addysg gydweithio i wella sgiliau ein harweinyddion a manteisio ar ran o'r arbenigedd hwnnw, yn enwedig yn y sefydliadau mwy hynny, yr ysgolion mwy lle y gellir gwneud rhywbeth efallai i ymestyn pobl ychydig bach yn fwy a datblygu'r sgiliau hynny. Rwy'n credu hefyd, o ran galluoedd y disgyblion mwy abl a thalentog, ein bod ni'n gwybod bod hyn hefyd yn rhywbeth y mae angen i ni ganolbwyntio arno. Dyna un o'r rhesymau pam nad oedd ein sgoriau PISA cystal ag y dylent fod ac mae hyn, unwaith eto, yn rhywbeth sydd wedi ei ailadrodd yn adroddiad Estyn. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi hefyd bod Llyr yn mynd i fod yn siarad am ddisgyblion eraill ac unedau cyfeirio disgyblion, er enghraifft, ond mae'n amlwg bod angen i ni wneud yn siŵr bod pob un o'n disgyblion yn cyrraedd ei botensial llawn. Tybed, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a wnewch chi ddweud ychydig mwy wrthym am eich cynlluniau ar gyfer disgyblion mwy abl a thalentog, nid dim ond y rhaglen Seren, ond beth arall y gellir ei wneud er mwyn cael y bobl hynny, y bobl iau hynny yn benodol, i fyny yna, yn cyrraedd eu llawn botensial, a gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn dringo i fyny'r tablau cynghrair hynny yn y dyfodol. Diolch.