English: I thank the Minister for introducing this today and giving us sight of the statement beforehand. May I start by welcoming the general direction of today's announcement? As a pupil who benefited from bilingual education, it's good to see that Welsh-medium education for primary school pupils is a priority, because it's important to catch children early if we're to develop the language. I'd be eager to understand how the 23 new schools will be distributed across the country. Are they focused on settings where there are fewer Welsh speakers? Also, what timetable are we looking at so that these projects can go to tender and be constructed? Will you ensure that this budget increases with inflation? If projects don't happen for a few years, and inflation continues to rise, how can we ensure that this doesn't go over budget? You mention expanding 25 other schools. How can we be confident that these expansions will be adequate? You note the aim of having 26 per cent of year 1 pupils receiving their education through the medium of Welsh from 2026. Are we on the right track at the moment to achieve this, or do some of these new schools need to be built in order to attain that target? I've raised this next issue with you previously. If these new schools are to be built, they will also need to be staffed, of course. Now, taking those 23 new sites and ignoring the 25 expansions, as well as the new requirements of the Curriculum for Wales to increase Welsh-medium provision in English-medium schools, we will need hundreds of new Welsh-speaking teachers. How will this be delivered, and how will we ensure that we have a good range of teachers from diverse backgrounds and with diverse life experience? Has any consideration been given to how to attract mature students into teaching? My final point relates to the transition from primary to secondary education. Although the growth in Welsh-medium education in primary schools is to be welcomed, it's more difficult to achieve this in secondary education because of the numbers and catchment areas. So, what work is under way to allow smooth transition between a pupil leaving year 6 having being educated through the medium of Welsh and starting in year 7 in an English-medium or bilingual school? We all faced challenges as we transitioned from primary to secondary, and we do need to ensure that any barriers that exist because of language change is reduced and resolved. So, thank you for the statement once again, Minister. As I previously mentioned, the Welsh language belongs to us all across Wales. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch i'r Gweinidog am gyflwyno hyn heddiw, ac am roi golwg ymlaen llaw i ni ar y datganiad. A allaf ddechrau drwy groesawu cyfeiriad cyffredinol y cyhoeddiad heddiw? Fel disgybl a elwodd o addysg ddwyieithog, mae'n dda gweld bod addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg i ddisgyblion cynradd yn flaenoriaeth, gan ei bod yn bwysig dal plant yn ifanc i ddatblygu'r iaith. Byddwn yn awyddus i ddeall sut y bydd y 23 ysgol newydd yn cael eu dosbarthu ledled y wlad. Ydyn nhw'n canolbwyntio ar leoliadau lle mae llai o siaradwyr Cymraeg? Hefyd, pa amserlen ydyn ni'n edrych arni er mwyn i'r projectau hyn fynd i dender a chael eu hadeiladu? A wnewch sicrhau bod y gyllideb hon yn chwyddiannol? Os nad yw projectau'n digwydd am ychydig flynyddoedd, a bod chwyddiant yn parhau i godi, sut allwn ni sicrhau nad yw hyn yn mynd dros y gyllideb? Rydych yn sôn am ehangu 25 o ysgolion eraill. Sut y gallwn fod yn siŵr y bydd yr ehangiadau hyn yn ddigonol? Rydych yn nodi'r nod o gael 26 y cant o ddysgwyr blwyddyn 1 i dderbyn eu haddysg yn Gymraeg o 2026. A ydym ar y trywydd iawn ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer hyn, neu a oes angen i rai o'r ysgolion newydd yma gael eu hadeiladu i gyrraedd y targed hwnnw? Rwyf wedi codi'r mater nesaf yma o'r blaen. Os yw'r ysgolion newydd hyn i gael eu hadeiladu, bydd angen eu staffio hefyd. Gan gymryd y 23 o adeiladau newydd, ac anwybyddu'r 25 o ehangiadau, yn ogystal â gofynion newydd y Cwricwlwm i Gymru i gynyddu addysgu'r Gymraeg mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg, bydd angen cannoedd o athrawon newydd sydd yn siarad Cymraeg yn rhugl. Sut y cyflawnir hyn, a sut yr ydym ni'n mynd i sicrhau bod gennym ystod dda o athrawon o wahanol gefndiroedd a chyda gwahanol brofiadau bywyd? A oes unrhyw ystyriaeth wedi'i roi i sut i ddenu myfyrwyr aeddfed i addysgu? Mae fy mhwynt olaf yn ymwneud â'r newid o'r ysgol gynradd i'r ysgol uwch. Er bod twf addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg mewn ysgolion cynradd i'w groesawu, mae'n anos cyflawni'r un twf mewn addysg uwchradd oherwydd y niferoedd a dalgylchoedd dan sylw. Pa ddarpariaeth sydd ar waith i alluogi pontio llyfn rhwng disgybl sy'n gadael blwyddyn 6 ar ôl cael ei addysgu yn Gymraeg a dechrau ym mlwyddyn 7 mewn ysgol cyfrwng Saesneg neu ddwyieithog? Roeddem ni i gyd yn wynebu heriau wrth inni bontio rhwng ein haddysg gynradd ac uwchradd, ac mae angen inni sicrhau bod unrhyw rwystrau sy'n bodoli oherwydd y newid yn yr iaith y caiff disgyblion eu haddysgu ynddi yn cael eu lleihau a'u datrys. Diolch am y datganiad unwaith eto, Gweinidog. Fel yr ydym wedi sôn o'r blaen, mae'r iaith Gymraeg yn perthyn i bob un ledled Cymru. Diolch.