English: Whilst recognising that school closure was a necessary part of controlling the pandemic, there was clear consensus among witnesses to the committee that the impact of not being at school on the well-being of very many children was very significant indeed. Hefin David has just described his own experience and his children's experience very clearly, and others across Wales will have faced all sorts of challenges. The view of the witnesses to the committee was that priority should be given to ensuring the safest possible face-to-face contact between children and young people in schools. This highlights the importance of that special relationship between a pupil and a teacher and the experience of learning together, and how crucially important that is to education ultimately. Therefore, the announcement on the reopening in September for all children is sure to be welcomed by parents, by children and young people, but also by those witnesses who appeared before our committee when we were discussing these issues. And it will also be welcomed by the children's commissioner. But, of course, with a very real possibility of a second wave, it is crucially important that we learn lessons as a result of the challenges recently faced in trying to agree on arrangements for the return of our children to school. We must put the needs of the child or young person at the heart of everything and it's crucial that we continue to make improvements to remote learning and remote connectivity and deal with the digital divide in case we do need to close all schools again, or to close schools in particular parts of the country at particular times. This too is particularly pertinent in the FE sector, and narrowing the digital divide in that sector has become something that clearly needs to be addressed. In the committee's report, 'Mind over matter', the crucial role of schools in terms of mental health and well-being is identified and this is true now more than ever. Before the arrival of the pandemic, the guidance that we had called for and the whole-school approach to dealing with emotional and mental health were being prepared. During our initial inquiry into the impact of COVID we did call for the publication of that guidance for consultation as a matter of priority, in order to ensure that support for the mental and emotional health of our children could be a significant part of their education. I am pleased to see that the guidance has now been published on 8 July and that it is now out to consultation until the end of September, but I do hope that the core principles will be adopted way before then. It's clear from the evidence that the committee received that we need to be careful and cautious as to how we weigh up the impact of COVID on the mental health of our children and young people, and to acknowledge that there are certain aspects, such as anxiety, stress and loneliness, that are natural responses to the challenges and risks that have emerged as a result of the pandemic. On the other hand and at the other extreme, Samaritans Cymru did tell the committee that it is too early for data to demonstrate exactly what impact the pandemic has had on suicide levels, and that we do need to very closely monitor those factors that can contribute to the risk of suicide. As the committee Chair has already mentioned, what has become apparent is that it is very important now in this ensuing period that our children and young people know to whom they can turn for advice and support. That has become apparent because the schools and surgeries haven't been available to them in the same way so that they can point them in the right direction towards the support that they need. It's therefore important that our recommendations - and returning again to the committee's important report, 'Mind over matter' - it's important that the recommendations on the gaps in services for children and young people and those who are described as the 'missing middle', those children and young people who don't qualify for CAMHS services but can't access other support, low-level support either - it's so important now that those services are put in place and that they are properly funded during this next period as we deal with the pandemic. I've focused on just two aspects of the report, but I would also like to thank everyone who gave evidence and contributed to our work at such a worrying time, and at a time when the picture is changing so exceptionally quickly. And I do think that we all need to monitor and keep a close eye on the impact of the pandemic on our children and young people over the summer holidays, and into the autumn and over these next years, indeed. Thank you very much.
Welsh: Er yn cydnabod bod cau ysgolion wedi bod yn rhan angenrheidiol o reoli'r pandemig, roedd consensws clir ymhlith y tystion i'r pwyllgor fod effaith peidio â bod yn yr ysgol ar lesiant lawer o blant yn un sylweddol. Mae Hefin David newydd ddisgrifio ei brofiad o a'i blant o yn glir iawn, a bydd eraill ar draws Cymru wedi wynebu bob math o heriau. Barn y tystion i'r pwyllgor oedd y dylid rhoi blaenoriaeth i sicrhau'r cyswllt mwyaf diogel wyneb yn wyneb â phlant a phobl ifanc yn yr ysgolion. Ac mae hyn yn tanlinellu pwysigrwydd y berthynas arbennig rhwng plentyn ac athro, a'r profiad o gyd-ddysgu gyda'i gilydd a pha mor greiddiol ydy hynny i addysg yn y pen draw. Ac felly mae'r cyhoeddiad am ailagor ym Medi i bob plentyn yn siŵr o gael ei groesawu gan rieni a gan blant a phobl ifanc, ond hefyd gan y tystion ddaeth i'n pwyllgor ni pan oeddem ni'n trafod hyn, a gan y comisiynydd plant. Ond, wrth gwrs, efo posibilrwydd real iawn o ail don, mae'n ofnadwy o bwysig ein bod ni'n dysgu gwersi yn sgil yr heriau a wynebwyd yn ddiweddar wrth geisio cytuno ar drefniadau ar gyfer dychweliad ein plant ni i'r ysgol. Mae'n rhaid rhoi anghenion y plentyn neu'r person ifanc yn y canol. Ac mae'n hollbwysig parhau i wella dysgu o bell a chysylltu o bell gyda phob disgybl a lleihau'r bwlch digidol rhag ofn y bydd angen cau'r ysgolion i gyd eto, neu mewn rhannau penodol o'r wlad o dro i dro. Mae hyn hefyd yn berthnasol iawn yn y sector addysg bellach. Mae cau'r bwlch digidol yn y sector hwnnw wedi dod yn rhywbeth sydd yn amlwg angen sylw. Yn adroddiad y pwyllgor, 'Cadernid Meddwl', fe bwysleisiwyd rôl hanfodol ysgolion o safbwynt iechyd emosiynol a meddyliol plant a phobl ifanc, ac mae hyn yn wir rŵan hyn yn fwy nag erioed. Cyn dyfodiad y pandemig, mi oedd y canllawiau yr oeddem ni wedi galw amdanyn nhw ar ymagwedd ysgol-gyfan at ymdrin ag iechyd emosiynol a meddyliol yn cael eu paratoi. Yn ystod ein hymchwiliad cychwynnol ni i effaith y COVID, fe wnaethom ni alw am gyhoeddi'r canllawiau hyn ar gyfer ymgynghoriad fel mater o flaenoriaeth, er mwyn sicrhau y gall cymorth ar gyfer iechyd emosiynol a meddyliol ein plant ni fod yn nodwedd ganolog o'u haddysg. Dwi yn falch iawn o weld fod y canllawiau wedi cael eu cyhoeddi ar 8 Gorffennaf a'u bod nhw allan i ymgynghoriad tan ddiwedd mis Medi. Ond dwi'n gobeithio y bydd yr egwyddorion craidd yn cael eu mabwysiadu llawer iawn cyn hynny. Mae'n amlwg o'r dystiolaeth gafodd y pwyllgor bod angen bod yn ofalus sut ydym ni yn pwyso a mesur effaith y COVID ar iechyd meddwl ein plant a phobl ifanc ni, ac i gydnabod fod rhai agweddau fel gorbryder, straen ac unigrwydd yn ymateb naturiol i'r risgiau a'r heriau sydd wedi dod yn sgil y pandemig. Ar y llaw arall ac ar y pegwn arall, mi wnaeth Samariaid Cymru yn y pwyllgor ddweud ei bod hi'n rhy gynnar i ddata ddangos yn union pa effaith mae'r pandemig wedi'i gael ar lefelau hunanladdiad, a bod angen monitro yn agos iawn y ffactorau sydd yn gallu cyfrannu at gyfraddau hunanladdiad a risg hunanladdiad. Fel mae Cadeirydd y pwyllgor wedi ei drafod yn barod, beth sydd wedi dod yn hollol amlwg ydy ei bod hi'n bwysig rŵan yn y cyfnod nesaf yma bod ein plant a phobl ifanc ni yn gwybod at pwy y gallan nhw droi am gymorth. Mae hynny wedi dod yn reit amlwg oherwydd bod yr ysgol a meddygfeydd ddim wedi bod ar gael iddyn nhw yn yr un ffordd er mwyn pwyntio nhw yn y cyfeiriad cywir tuag at gymorth. Mae'n bwysig, felly, bod ein hargymhellion ni - i fynd yn ôl eto at adroddiad pwysig y pwyllgor, 'Cadernid Meddwl' - mae'n bwysig bod yr argymhellion ynglŷn â'r bylchau mewn gwasanaethau i blant a phobl ifanc a'r rheini sydd yn cael eu galw'r 'canol coll', sef y plant a phobl ifanc yma sydd ddim yn gymwys ar gyfer gwasanaethau CAMHS ond yn methu dod o hyd i gymorth arall chwaith, cymorth lefel isel - mae mor bwysig rŵan bod y gwasanaethau yna yn cael eu rhoi mewn lle a bod yna arian tu ôl i hynny yn ystod y cyfnod nesaf yma rŵan o ddelio efo'r pandemig. Dwi wedi canolbwyntio ar ddwy agwedd ar yr adroddiad, ond mi fuaswn i hefyd yn hoffi diolch i bawb ddaeth i roi tystiolaeth a chyfrannu at ein gwaith ni mewn cyfnod mor bryderus, ac mewn cyfnod lle mae'r darlun yn newid mor eithriadol o gyflym. A dwi'n credu bod angen i ni gyd fod yn monitro ac yn cadw gwyliadwriaeth gyson ynglŷn ag effaith y pandemig ar ein plant a'n pobl ifanc ni dros wyliau'r haf, ac yn sicr i fewn i'r hydref ac ymlaen, a dweud y gwir, dros y blynyddoedd nesaf yma. Diolch yn fawr.