English: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I think every Member here is committed to seeing that children and young people in Wales receive an education that is inspiring, motivating and provides them with the skills they need to fulfil their potential, as you said in your statement. We have very different ideas about how that can be achieved, but I think everybody is approaching this from the same perspective - we want the best for all children and young people in Wales. I should first give credit where credit's due to the Cabinet Secretary for admitting that Welsh Government is unable to provide reliable data on how many children are educated at home. To be fair, ascertaining those numbers of children who are being home-schooled is far from being a simple matter. You can't simply compare birth and death records, for instance, with school records, because families move around, obviously. I welcome the measures the Cabinet Secretary has announced today to try and address this lack of information. With regard to the proposal that independent schools be required to give certain information to local authorities, I wouldn't normally welcome something that might be seen as an intrusion by the state, however, on this occasion, I think the Cabinet Secretary doesn't really have anything else that she can do, because I don't see how accurate data can be gathered by local authorities if they don't know which children are in independent education. I support the objective to ensure that children and young people who are being home-schooled receive a good, rounded education. You've said that you want to ensure that children receive a suitable education. It's vital that the assessment of whether a child is receiving a suitable education is made fairly and that 'suitability' is not a euphemism for 'state approved'. The essence of home-schooling for many parents is that the parent has the ability to decide curriculum and pace for their child. Recognition therefore needs to be given to parents' right to decide the contents of their child's education. It's key that parents who home-school their children have a full voice in the development of the assessment criteria and a means of challenging a local authority's assessment of the education being provided to their child. I welcome the Cabinet Secretary's intention to put statutory guidance out to consultation and I would encourage parents to contribute. Is the Cabinet Secretary able to confirm today when the consultation documents will be issued and how long the consultation period will be? I also welcome the intentions expressed by the Cabinet Secretary to consider how services are provided to home-schooled children and to provide assistance to parents, such as support with additional learning needs. I take the Cabinet Secretary at her word that her intention is to support parents who wish to home-school, rather than to sit in judgment of their decisions, which, I'm certain, is not her intention. I believe that parents who home-school their children, whilst welcoming additional support and assistance, would be concerned that this represents the thin end of the wedge to state interference in the choices they have made for their child. So, would the Cabinet Secretary be prepared today to give parents her personal assurance that the measures you introduce will not have the effect of placing pressure on parents to stop home-schooling their children, or lead to local authorities effectively deciding the content of education provided at home? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch ichi am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy'n credu bod pob Aelod yma wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru yn cael addysg sydd yn ysbrydoli, yn ysgogi ac yn rhoi iddyn nhw'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen i gyflawni eu posibiliadau, fel y gwnaethoch chi ei ddweud yn eich datganiad. Mae gennym syniadau gwahanol iawn am sut y gellir cyflawni hynny, ond rwy'n credu bod pawb yn ymdrin â hyn o'r un safbwynt - rydym yn dymuno'r gorau i holl blant a phobl ifanc Cymru. Dylwn yn gyntaf roi clod lle mae'n ddyledus i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am gyfaddef nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu rhoi data dibynadwy ar faint o blant sy'n cael eu haddysg yn y cartref. I fod yn deg, mae canfod y niferoedd hynny o blant sy'n cael eu haddysg gartref ymhell o fod yn fater syml. Ni allwch yn syml gymharu cofnodion geni a marwolaeth, er enghraifft, â chofnodion ysgol, oherwydd bod teuluoedd yn symud o gwmpas, yn amlwg. Rwy'n croesawu'r mesurau y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi eu cyhoeddi heddiw i geisio mynd i'r afael â'r diffyg hwn gyda gwybodaeth. O ran y cynnig bod angen i ysgolion annibynnol roi gwybodaeth benodol i awdurdodau lleol, ni fyddwn fel arfer yn croesawu rhywbeth allai gael ei ystyried yn ymyrraeth gan y wladwriaeth. Er hynny, ar yr achlysur hwn, credaf nad oes gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet unrhyw beth arall y gallai ei wneud, oherwydd ni allaf weld sut y gall awdurdodau lleol gasglu data cywir os nad ydyn nhw'n gwybod pa blant sydd mewn addysg annibynnol. Rwy'n cefnogi'r amcan i sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc sy'n cael eu haddysgu yn y cartref yn cael addysg dda a chyflawn. Rydych wedi dweud eich bod yn awyddus i sicrhau bod plant yn cael addysg addas. Mae'n hanfodol fod yr asesiad a wneir i weld a yw plentyn yn cael addysg addas yn un teg ac nad yw 'addasrwydd' yn gyfystyr i 'gymeradwy gan y wladwriaeth'. Hanfod addysg yn y cartref i lawer o rieni yw bod gan y rhiant y gallu i benderfynu ar gwricwlwm a chyflymder addas i'r plentyn. Felly, mae angen rhoi cydnabyddiaeth i hawl y rhieni i benderfynu ar gynnwys addysg eu plentyn. Mae'n allweddol bod llais cryf gan y rhieni sy'n rhoi addysg yn y cartref i'w plant wrth ddatblygu meini prawf yr asesu a bod ganddynt y modd i herio asesiad awdurdod lleol o'r addysg a ddarperir i'w plentyn. Rwy'n croesawu bwriad Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i gael ymgynghoriad ar y canllawiau statudol a byddwn yn annog rhieni i wneud cyfraniad. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gadarnhau heddiw pryd y caiff y dogfennau ymgynghori eu cyhoeddi a pha mor hir fydd y cyfnod ymgynghori? Rwy'n croesawu hefyd y bwriadau a fynegwyd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i ystyried sut y darperir gwasanaethau i blant sy'n cael addysg yn y cartref a'r ddarpariaeth o gymorth i rieni, fel cymorth gydag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Cymeraf yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ar ei gair mai ei bwriad yw cynorthwyo rhieni sy'n dymuno addysgu yn y cartref, yn hytrach na barnu eu penderfyniadau, ac rwy'n sicr nad yw hynny'n fwriad ganddi. Credaf y byddai rhieni sy'n dewis addysgu eu plant yn y cartref, er y byddent yn croesawu'r cymorth a'r gefnogaeth ychwanegol, yn pryderu y gallai hyn gynrychioli blaen y gyllell o ran ymyrraeth y wladwriaeth yn y dewisiadau y maen nhw wedi'u gwneud er mwyn eu plentyn. Felly, a fyddai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn barod heddiw i roi ei sicrwydd personol i rieni na fydd y mesurau yr ydych yn eu cyflwyno yn cael yr effaith o roi pwysau ar rieni i roi'r gorau i addysgu eu plant gartref, nac yn arwain at awdurdodau lleol i bob pwrpas yn penderfynu ar gynnwys yr addysg a ddarperir yn y cartref? Diolch.