English: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd, and thank you for your statement today, Minister. Like Laura Jones, I think we have to recognise the ongoing trauma for our children and young people. The pandemic is not over. We're seeing high numbers of teachers, children and young people not in school at the moment, and that the situation remains, and we're not yet in a period where we can look back and rebuild. Although this is to be welcomed today, I do think there's a huge amount of work for us to be doing in supporting our schools in these exceptionally difficult circumstances, as well as learners of all ages. Also, we must recognise, historically, that this has been a grave problem pre COVID, and that we are now seeing that we have taken some backward steps in terms of attainment and ensuring that equal start for all. With so many families, as we know, with the cost-of-living crisis we're seeing now, with people not being able to afford food and electricity, and so on, that's all going to have an impact on our children and young people, and the trauma that they experience at home, which will make it so difficult for them to be doing their school work - finding a safe, warm space and having a home in order to do that work. This is all part of a package. I was pleased to hear you focusing on the importance of community. You mentioned community-focused schools; in Welsh, they're called ysgolion bro. But how do you define that in terms of the twenty-first century schools model? Because, very often, we see these excellent new schools outwith communities, and more learners having to travel to them. It's a great concern of mine, and we've discussed this in the past, that some pupils have to travel by bus to get to these schools, even primary schools, travelling many miles to get to them. Parents have spoken to me about the fact that they have to travel on two or three buses to collect their child from school if they're unwell, or to go to a parents evening, and so on. Although these resources are now open in some of these schools, and there will be further resources available, if our most disadvantaged pupils can't take advantage of those resources, aren't we exacerbating the problem? So, are there plans as part of this to invest in transport too, in order to ensure that everyone - ? Because we have to be realistic now; 'community' doesn't mean that you should be able to walk to school in the model we have in terms of schools now. A community can be vast, and it doesn't necessarily mean a particular small catchment. So, how is every pupil going to benefit from this investment, so that we don't see these inconsistencies continuing?
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, a diolch, Weinidog am eich datganiad heddiw. Yn debyg iawn i Laura Jones, dwi'n meddwl bod rhaid i ni gydnabod y trawma parhaus i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc ni. Dydy'r pandemig ddim drosodd. Rydyn ni'n gweld niferoedd uchel o athrawon a phlant a phobl ifanc ddim yn yr ysgolion ar y funud, bod y sefyllfa yn parhau felly, a'n bod ni ddim eto yn y cyfnod lle rydyn ni'n gallu edrych yn ôl ac ailadeiladu. Er bod hyn i'w groesawu heddiw, dwi'n meddwl bod yna lot fawr, fawr o waith i ni barhau i'w wneud i gefnogi ein hysgolion ni yn yr amgylchiadau eithriadol o anodd, ynghyd â dysgwyr o bob oed. Hefyd, mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod, yn hanesyddol felly, bod hon wedi bod yn broblem ddirfawr cyn COVID, ac felly ein bod ni rŵan yn gweld bod yna gamau wedi mynd nôl o ran cyrhaeddiad a sicrhau'r dechrau cyfartal a theg i bawb. Efo cymaint o deuluoedd, fel rydyn ni'n ei wybod, efo'r argyfwng rydyn ni'n ei weld rŵan, efo pobl yn methu fforddio bwyd, trydan, ac ati, mae hynna i gyd yn mynd i gael effaith ar ein plant a'n pobl ifanc ni, a'r trawma maen nhw'n ei brofi adref, sy'n mynd i'w gwneud hi mor anodd iddyn nhw fod yn gwneud eu gwaith ysgol - yn medru ffeindio gofod diogel, cynnes, clyd, a'r sicrwydd o gartref, er mwyn medru gwneud y gwaith. Mae hyn i gyd yn rhan o becyn. Dwi'n falch o'ch clywed chi'n canolbwyntio ar bwysigrwydd cymuned. Yn amlwg, community-focused schools yn Gymraeg ydy 'ysgolion bro'. Ond beth ydy 'bro', a sut ydych chi'n ei ddiffinio fo o ran model ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain? Oherwydd, yn aml, rydyn ni'n gweld yr ysgolion gwych newydd yma allan o gymunedau, a mwy o ddysgwyr yn gorfod teithio iddyn nhw. Mae o'n bryder mawr gen i, ac mi rydyn ni wedi trafod yn y gorffennol, y ffaith bod yn rhaid i ddisgyblion deithio ar fws i gyrraedd yr ysgolion hyn, hyd yn oed ysgolion cynradd, gan deithio milltiroedd i'w cyrraedd nhw. Mae rhieni wedi siarad â mi ynglŷn â'r ffaith eu bod nhw'n gorfod teithio ar ddau neu dri bws i gyrraedd eu plentyn o'r ysgol os ydyn nhw'n sâl, neu i fynd i'r ysgol i noson rieni, ac ati. Er bod yr adnoddau yma'n agored rŵan mewn rhai o'r ysgolion hyn, ac y bydd yna fwy o adnoddau ar gael, os nad ydy'n disgyblion mwyaf difreintiedig ni'n gallu defnyddio'r adnoddau hyn, yna onid ydym ni'n gwneud y bwlch hyd yn oed yn waeth? Felly, oes yna gynlluniau yn rhan o hyn hefyd i fuddsoddi mewn trafnidiaeth, er mwyn sicrhau bod pawb - ? Oherwydd mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn realistig rŵan; dydy 'cymuned' ddim yn golygu eich bod chi'n gallu cerdded i'r ysgol yn y model sydd gennym ni o ran ysgolion rŵan. Mae cymuned yn gallu bod yn eang iawn, a dydy o ddim yn golygu 'bro' i nifer o bobl. Felly, sut mae pob disgybl yn mynd i gael y fantais o'r buddsoddiad hwn, fel ein bod ni ddim yn gweld yr anghysondeb hwnnw'n parhau?