English: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. Thank you to all Members who've contributed to the debate today and for the Minister's response. I'd also like to put on record my grateful thanks to our excellent clerking team, our researchers and outreach team who've really supported us as a committee. There really is clearly a shared ambition here to ensure that children and young people are able to attend school and engage in school activity as much as possible. The impact absence from school has on young people can't be underestimated. We've heard today as well not only does is effect educational attainment, it can also have an impact on mental health and well-being. We've heard from Members today, including Tom Giffard, who said about the pandemic and how that has impacted children and young people in many ways following school closures and changing work patterns for parents, and we've also heard how it's changed attitudes towards attendance at school. Saying this, I do want to acknowledge that there will be some children and young people for whom sustaining regular school attendance is particularly challenging, and that might be for a myriad of reasons, some of which are out of their control, such as illness. In these instances we should be doing everything we can to help children and young people engage as fully as possible in a supportive manner. But as Laura Jones said earlier, we must make it as easy as possible for children and young people to attend school. Members have touched on a number of topics. I think one of the key points was around the learner travel issues. I think Laura, Heledd and Vikki in particular touched on that. That was our recommendation 3 - that we want to see that learner travel moving away from cost-driven decisions to a learner-first approach. We're very aware of the financial pressures that local authorities are under, which is why the committee recommended that the Welsh Government ensure local authorities have sufficient funding to deliver on this. But we do want to see the Welsh Government being radical in its approach on this issue, and to look for innovative solutions to this really long-standing, sticky issue. Just for Members to note, outside of this inquiry, the committee has recently written to the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, asking for an update on the learner travel review. The Deputy Minister said that work is currently under way on planning the wider learner travel review, and that a timetable will be shared with the committee when it's available. Obviously, I'm sure, Minister, you will know that committee members and other Members in this Chamber are really keen for that to come to light, so we'll be eagerly awaiting that, and we will be monitoring that very closely. Another issue was around data, and Vikki Howells mentioned, I think, Professor Ann John's quote, which is, 'What gets counted matters', and that is a really key point. I think Heledd and Vikki - well, Vikki shared her experience in a pastoral role in her previous work. That was really helpful to hear. And I think even the Minister's response, talking about some people feeling that 90 per cent of attendance was a good statistic. You know when you're at school, you hear '90 per cent', and some people think that is good, and you can understand. So, I think how we look at this data is really important, and behind that, as well, which I think Vikki had mentioned too. We'd also heard around the importance of family engagement officers and the incredible work that they do. Many Members mentioned that, as well as the Minister touching on the importance of community-focused schools. And we do know that schools can't solve all the problems, which is what Professor Ann John told us, but it is about the school climate, and there are some things that we can do and affect. I'd just like to touch on Jenny's point around the nurturing environments that schools can be. It is so important, and it is easier to attain in a primary school setting than a secondary school setting, but we have to work really hard to make sure that those nurturing environments are there for our young people. Heledd mentioned how every day lost widens the attainment gap, and that is so important, and that's why we as a committee felt that this report was so important and this piece of work is so important, and we will be monitoring this as we go on. So, I think, Deputy Llywydd, just to say that I believe we all have a role to play - not just schools, local authorities or the Welsh Government, but all of us here as elected politicians and active citizens in our communities - to reinforce those positive benefits of school attendance. It was really clear to us in our evidence that the carrot will be far more useful than the stick in terms of improving school attendance. And as a committee, we will continue to monitor progress on this important issue, and we look forward to seeing the outcome of the Welsh Government's review of attendance policy and guidance later this year, and I'd just like to say, once again, thank you to everybody who has contributed to this inquiry and for the debate today. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Diolch i bob Aelod sydd wedi cyfrannu at y ddadl heddiw ac am ymateb y Gweinidog. Hoffwn hefyd gofnodi fy niolch i'n tîm clercio rhagorol, ein hymchwilwyr a'n tîm allgymorth sydd wedi ein cynorthwyo'n fawr fel pwyllgor. Yn amlwg mae yna uchelgais ar y cyd yma i sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc yn gallu mynychu'r ysgol ac ymgysylltu â gweithgareddau ysgol gymaint â phosibl. Ni ellir tanbrisio effaith absenoldeb o'r ysgol ar bobl ifanc. Rydym wedi clywed heddiw ei fod yn cael effaith ar iechyd meddwl a llesiant yn ogystal â chyrhaeddiad addysgol. Rydym wedi clywed gan yr Aelodau heddiw, gan gynnwys Tom Giffard, a ddywedodd am y pandemig a sut mae hwnnw wedi effeithio ar blant a phobl ifanc mewn sawl ffordd yn dilyn cau ysgolion a newid patrymau gwaith i rieni, ac rydym hefyd wedi clywed sut mae wedi newid agweddau tuag at bresenoldeb yn yr ysgol. Wedi dweud hyn, hoffwn gydnabod y bydd yna rai plant a phobl ifanc yn ei chael yn arbennig o heriol cynnal presenoldeb rheolaidd yn yr ysgol, ac fe allai fod amryw o resymau am hynny, a rhai ohonynt y tu hwnt i'w rheolaeth, megis salwch. Yn yr achosion hyn dylem wneud popeth yn ein gallu i helpu plant a phobl ifanc i gymryd rhan mor llawn â phosibl mewn modd cefnogol. Ond fel y dywedodd Laura Jones yn gynharach, mae'n rhaid inni ei gwneud mor hawdd â phosibl i blant a phobl ifanc fynychu'r ysgol. Mae'r Aelodau wedi cyffwrdd â nifer o bynciau. Rwy'n credu bod un o'r prif bwyntiau yn ymwneud â phroblemau teithio gan ddysgwyr. Rwy'n credu bod Laura, Heledd a Vikki yn enwedig wedi crybwyll hynny. Dyna oedd ein hargymhelliad 3 - ein bod eisiau gweld dull sy'n canolbwyntio ar y dysgwr yn hytrach na phenderfyniadau sy'n cael eu llywio gan gostau mewn perthynas â theithio gan ddysgwyr. Rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o'r pwysau ariannol sydd ar awdurdodau lleol, a dyna pam yr argymhellodd y pwyllgor fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod gan awdurdodau lleol ddigon o gyllid i gyflawni hyn. Ond rydym eisiau gweld Llywodraeth Cymru yn mabwysiadu dull radical yn y mater hwn, ac rydym eisiau iddo chwilio am atebion arloesol i'r mater anodd a hirsefydlog hwn. Er gwybodaeth i'r Aelodau, y tu hwnt i'r ymchwiliad hwn, mae'r pwyllgor wedi ysgrifennu at y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn ddiweddar, yn gofyn am ddiweddariad ar yr adolygiad teithio gan ddysgwyr. Dywedodd y Dirprwy Weinidog fod gwaith yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd ar gynllunio'r adolygiad teithio gan ddysgwyr ehangach, ac y bydd amserlen yn cael ei rhannu gyda'r pwyllgor pan fydd ar gael. Yn amlwg, rwy'n siŵr, Weinidog, y byddwch yn gwybod bod aelodau'r pwyllgor ac Aelodau eraill yn y Siambr hon yn awyddus iawn i weld hwnnw, felly byddwn yn aros yn eiddgar amdano, a byddwn yn ei fonitro'n drylwyr. Mater arall oedd data, a nododd Vikki Howells, rwy'n credu, ddyfyniad yr Athro Ann John, sef, 'mai'r hyn sy'n cael ei gyfrif sydd o bwys', ac mae hwnnw'n bwynt allweddol. Rwy'n credu bod Heledd a Vikki - wel, rhannodd Vikki ei phrofiad mewn rôl fugeiliol yn ei gwaith blaenorol. Roedd yn gymorth mawr i glywed hynny, a hyd yn oed ymateb y Gweinidog, pan soniodd am rai pobl yn teimlo bod presenoldeb o 90 y cant yn ystadegyn da. Pan ydych yn yr ysgol, rydych yn clywed '90 y cant', ac mae rhai pobl yn meddwl bod hwnnw'n ystadegyn da, a gallwch ddeall hynny. Felly, rwy'n credu bod y modd yr edrychwn ar y data hwn yn bwysig iawn, a thu ôl i hynny, ac rwy'n credu bod Vikki wedi sôn am hynny hefyd. Clywsom hefyd am bwysigrwydd swyddogion ymgysylltu â theuluoedd a'r gwaith anhygoel y maent yn ei wneud. Soniodd nifer o'r Aelodau, gan gynnwys y Gweinidog, am bwysigrwydd ysgolion bro. Ac rydym yn gwybod na all ysgolion ddatrys yr holl broblemau, sef yr hyn a ddywedodd yr Athro Ann John wrthym, ond mae'n ymwneud â hinsawdd yr ysgol, ac mae yna rai pethau y gallwn eu gwneud ac effeithio arnynt. Hoffwn grybwyll pwynt Jenny ynglŷn â sut y gall ysgolion fod yn amgylcheddau meithringar. Mae mor bwysig, ac mae'n haws i'w gyflawni mewn ysgol gynradd nag mewn ysgol uwchradd, ond mae'n rhaid inni weithio'n galed iawn i wneud yn siŵr fod yr amgylcheddau meithringar hynny yno i'n pobl ifanc. Soniodd Heledd sut mae pob diwrnod sy'n cael ei golli yn lledu'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad, ac mae hynny mor bwysig, a dyna pam y teimlem ni fel pwyllgor fod yr adroddiad hwn mor bwysig a'r gwaith hwn mor bwysig, a byddwn yn monitro hyn wrth inni fwrw ymlaen. Felly, Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn ddweud fy mod yn credu bod gan bob un ohonom rôl i'w chwarae - nid ysgolion, awdurdodau lleol neu Lywodraeth Cymru yn unig, ond pob un ohonom ni yma fel gwleidyddion etholedig a dinasyddion gweithredol yn ein cymunedau - i atgyfnerthu manteision cadarnhaol presenoldeb yn yr ysgol. Roedd yn amlwg iawn i ni yn ein tystiolaeth y bydd yr abwyd yn llawer mwy defnyddiol na'r ffon wrth geisio gwella presenoldeb yn yr ysgol. Ac fel pwyllgor, byddwn yn parhau i fonitro cynnydd ar y mater pwysig hwn, ac edrychwn ymlaen at weld canlyniad adolygiad Llywodraeth Cymru o'r polisi presenoldeb a chanllawiau yn ddiweddarach eleni, a hoffwn ddiolch, unwaith eto, i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu at yr ymchwiliad hwn ac am y ddadl heddiw. Diolch.