English: We made seven recommendations in total, all of which were accepted or accepted in principle. We know the Welsh Government are currently reviewing their attendance guidance, and we're glad to see the Minister commit to this review, encompassing the exclusions and behaviour guidance, as these issues are so closely linked. We also welcome the commitment that the revised guidance will be child-centric and underpinned by trauma-informed practice and evidence of what actually works. We heard very clear evidence that everybody has a role to play in promoting and supporting sustained attendance. Therefore, it is good to hear from the Minister that this guidance will set out the roles that all partners can play, going beyond just the school staff, but also encompassing local authorities, governors and, of course, parents and carers. During the pandemic, the type of attendance data that was collected and published changed, which makes it difficult to compare the data on attendance available pre pandemic and the data that's available now. But the broad trends indicate that attendance has decreased since the pandemic-related school closures. When we published the report, the average attendance for the current academic year was 91.4 per cent. As of the most recent Welsh Government data, published this morning, the average attendance for this academic year had declined to 89.3 per cent. The data also shows that the attendance rate is lower for those learners who are eligible for free school meals than those learners who are not. We heard anecdotal evidence that the cost-of-living crisis was creating an additional barrier to children and young people attending school. While this was anecdotal, it builds on long-standing concerns about the impact of the cost of the school day and the barriers it can create. It was also anecdotal evidence that all stakeholders seemed to agree with. And we're very clear that no child should be missing out on school because their family cannot afford for them to attend. This is baking in already existing disadvantages, and fundamentally unfair. We therefore made recommendation 2, which called for an urgent study into how the current cost-of-living crisis is impacting on school attendance. We were concerned that, because this evidence is currently anecdotal, it's making it more difficult to create effective solutions and policy interventions. We called for this to be done within two months of the Welsh Government's response to the report, and for it to be supported by an action plan. In responding to this recommendation, the Welsh Government said it was challenging to meet the timescale outlined. They said that they are in informal discussions with a local authority about a research proposal, which would take an in-depth look at attendance in secondary schools, with a focus on which approaches and interventions have the most impact on lower-income families. Now, while this sounds like a promising piece of work, it does not meet the ambition of our recommendation. We set a really challenging timescale for this recommendation because we felt the urgent need to understand how the current crisis is affecting school attendance right now and to identify what actions can be taken quickly to address that issue. We're concerned that, if children and young people start missing school because they can't afford to attend, this will make it more difficult to re-engage them in schooling the longer they are absent. We also note that this research proposal would only be looking at secondary school attendance. It's also unclear if this proposal would look at the picture across Wales. Perhaps the Minister can outline what work he plans to do to look at the evidence in primary settings. And, Minister, can you also confirm if the research proposal would cover all of Wales, and perhaps, if you're unable to support the research proposal cited in the Welsh Government's response, what work could take its place? Closely linked to the cost-of-living issues was recommendation 3, on learner travel. Both from our work on this committee but also as individual Members - which we did debate yesterday as well in the budget debate - we're acutely aware of the barriers that some children and young people face in accessing appropriate and affordable travel to school. We called for a pupil-first approach to learner travel decisions, where the needs of the individual pupil are the most important factor, and not cost. We acknowledge that this is a big ask of local authorities in difficult financial times, so we called on the Welsh Government to ensure local authorities have sufficient funding to deliver on this approach. We also called for the current review to be radical in looking for innovative solutions to this long-standing issue. Children's attendance at school should not be hindered because they do not have affordable or safe transport options. In responding, the Minister outlines the current review and the forthcoming changes to bus service delivery. However, we are concerned that, as with the previous recommendation, this does not reflect the urgent need to tackle this issue in the here and now. So, when will the review of the Learner Travel Measure (Wales) 2008 be completed, and when can we expect to see the actions from the review being implemented? Finally, I'd like to seek some more clarity from the Minister on the response to recommendation 1, which called for a national campaign focusing on the positive impacts of regular school attendance. We believe that this should be delivered in conjunction with more tailored local campaigns at local authority and school level, which would complement a national campaign. In responding to this recommendation, the Minister said that Welsh Government will be increasing communications to emphasise the importance of going to school. Please can he provide us with more detail on what format these communications will take, and will it be the national campaign that the committee wants to see? So, in closing, Deputy Llywydd, I would like to thank all those who contributed to our inquiry once again, including those who provided written and oral evidence, my fellow committee members, and the Minister and his officials for engaging positively with our work. I look forward to hearing what colleagues and the Minister have to say. Diolch.
Welsh: Fe wnaethom saith argymhelliad i gyd, a chafodd pob un ohonynt eu derbyn neu eu derbyn mewn egwyddor. Rydym yn gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wrthi'n adolygu eu canllawiau presenoldeb ar hyn o bryd, ac rydym yn falch o weld y Gweinidog yn ymrwymo i'r adolygiad hwn, sy'n cwmpasu'r canllawiau ar waharddiadau ac ymddygiad, gan fod cysylltiad agos rhwng y materion hyn. Rydym hefyd yn croesawu'r ymrwymiad y bydd y canllawiau diwygiedig yn canolbwyntio ar y plentyn ac yn seiliedig ar ymarfer sy'n ystyriol o drawma a thystiolaeth o'r hyn sy'n gweithio mewn gwirionedd. Clywsom dystiolaeth glir iawn fod gan bawb ran i'w chwarae yn y gwaith o hyrwyddo a chefnogi presenoldeb cyson. Felly, mae'n dda clywed gan y Gweinidog y bydd y canllawiau hyn yn nodi'r rolau y gall pob partner eu chwarae, gan fynd y tu hwnt i staff yr ysgol yn unig, a chwmpasu awdurdodau lleol, llywodraethwyr, a rhieni a gofalwyr wrth gwrs. Yn ystod y pandemig, newidiodd y math o ddata presenoldeb a gafodd ei gasglu a'i gyhoeddi, sy'n ei gwneud hi'n anodd cymharu'r data ar bresenoldeb sydd ar gael cyn y pandemig a'r data sydd ar gael nawr. Ond mae'r tueddiadau cyffredinol yn dangos bod lefelau presenoldeb wedi gostwng ers i'r ysgolion gau yn sgil y pandemig. Pan gyhoeddwyd yr adroddiad, presenoldeb cyfartalog y flwyddyn academaidd gyfredol oedd 91.4 y cant. O ddata diweddaraf Llywodraeth Cymru, a gyhoeddwyd y bore yma, roedd presenoldeb cyfartalog y flwyddyn academaidd hon wedi gostwng i 89.3 y cant. Mae'r data hefyd yn dangos bod y gyfradd presenoldeb yn is ymhlith dysgwyr sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim nag ymhlith dysgwyr nad ydynt yn gymwys. Clywsom dystiolaeth anecdotaidd fod yr argyfwng costau byw yn creu rhwystr ychwanegol i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n mynychu'r ysgol. Er bod hyn yn anecdotaidd, mae'n adeiladu ar bryderon hirsefydlog am effaith cost y diwrnod ysgol a'r rhwystrau y gall eu creu. Roedd hefyd yn dystiolaeth anecdotaidd yr oedd yr holl randdeiliaid i'w gweld yn cytuno â hi. Ac rydym yn glir iawn na ddylai'r un plentyn golli ysgol am nad yw eu teulu'n gallu fforddio iddynt fod yn bresennol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys anfanteision sydd eisoes yn bodoli, ac sy'n sylfaenol annheg. Felly, fe wnaethom argymhelliad 2 a alwai am astudiaeth frys i weld sut mae'r argyfwng costau byw presennol yn effeithio ar bresenoldeb yn yr ysgol. Oherwydd bod y dystiolaeth hon yn anecdotaidd ar hyn o bryd, roeddem yn pryderu ei bod yn ei gwneud hi'n anos creu atebion ac ymyriadau polisi effeithiol. Fe wnaethom alw am wneud hyn o fewn dau fis i ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i'r adroddiad, ac iddo gael ei gefnogi gan gynllun gweithredu. Wrth ymateb i'r argymhelliad hwn, dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru fod yr amserlen a nodwyd yn heriol. Dywedasant eu bod mewn trafodaethau anffurfiol gydag awdurdod lleol ynglŷn â chynnig ymchwil a fyddai'n edrych yn fanwl ar bresenoldeb mewn ysgolion uwchradd, gan ganolbwyntio ar ba ddulliau ac ymyriadau sy'n cael yr effaith fwyaf ar deuluoedd incwm is. Nawr, er bod hwn yn swnio fel gwaith addawol, nid yw'n cyrraedd uchelgais ein hargymhelliad. Fe wnaethom osod amserlen heriol iawn ar gyfer yr argymhelliad oherwydd ein bod yn teimlo angen i ddeall ar frys sut mae'r argyfwng presennol yn effeithio ar bresenoldeb yn yr ysgol ar hyn o bryd ac i nodi pa gamau y gellir eu cymryd yn gyflym i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem. Os yw plant a phobl ifanc yn dechrau colli ysgol am nad ydynt yn gallu fforddio mynychu, rydym yn poeni y bydd hyn yn ei gwneud hi'n anos ail-ennyn eu diddordeb mewn addysg po hiraf y byddant yn absennol. Nodwn hefyd mai edrych ar bresenoldeb yn yr ysgol uwchradd yn unig y byddai'r cynnig ymchwil hwn yn ei wneud. Nid yw'n glir ychwaith a fyddai'r cynnig yn edrych ar y darlun ar draws Cymru. Efallai y gall y Gweinidog amlinellu pa waith y mae'n bwriadu ei wneud i edrych ar y dystiolaeth mewn lleoliadau cynradd. A Weinidog, a allwch chi hefyd gadarnhau y byddai'r cynnig ymchwil yn cwmpasu Cymru gyfan, ac os nad ydych yn gallu cefnogi'r cynnig ymchwil a nodir yn ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru, pa waith a allai gymryd ei le? Roedd cysylltiad agos rhwng y materion costau byw ag argymhelliad 3, ar deithio gan ddysgwyr. O'n gwaith ar y pwyllgor hwn ond hefyd fel Aelodau unigol - rhywbeth y gwnaethom ei drafod ddoe hefyd yn y ddadl ar y gyllideb - rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o'r rhwystrau y mae rhai plant a phobl ifanc yn eu hwynebu i gael mynediad at gludiant priodol a fforddiadwy i'r ysgol. Fe wnaethom alw am ddull o wneud penderfyniadau teithio sy'n rhoi'r disgybl yn gyntaf, gydag anghenion y disgybl unigol yn hytrach na chost yn ffactor bwysicaf. Rydym yn cydnabod bod hyn yn gofyn llawer gan awdurdodau lleol mewn cyfnod anodd yn ariannol, felly galwasom ar Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod gan awdurdodau lleol ddigon o gyllid i allu cyflawni. Fe alwasom hefyd am sicrhau bod yr adolygiad presennol yn radical wrth chwilio am atebion arloesol i'r broblem hirsefydlog hon. Ni ddylai presenoldeb plant yn yr ysgol gael ei rwystro am nad oes ganddynt opsiynau cludiant fforddiadwy neu ddiogel. Wrth ymateb, mae'r Gweinidog yn amlinellu'r adolygiad presennol a'r newidiadau sydd i ddod i'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau bws. Fodd bynnag, rydym yn pryderu, fel gyda'r argymhelliad blaenorol, nad yw hyn yn adlewyrchu'r angen brys i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn nawr. Felly, pryd fydd yr adolygiad o'r Mesur Teithio gan Ddysgwyr (Cymru) 2008 wedi ei gwblhau, a phryd y gallwn ddisgwyl gweld camau gweithredu'r adolygiad yn cael eu gweithredu? Yn olaf, hoffwn ofyn am fwy o eglurder gan y Gweinidog ar yr ymateb i argymhelliad 1 a alwai am ymgyrch genedlaethol yn canolbwyntio ar effeithiau cadarnhaol presenoldeb rheolaidd yn yr ysgol. Credwn y dylid cyflwyno hyn ar y cyd ag ymgyrchoedd lleol wedi'u haddasu'n well ar lefel awdurdod lleol ac ysgol, a fyddai'n ategu ymgyrch genedlaethol. Wrth ymateb i'r argymhelliad hwn, dywedodd y Gweinidog y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru'n cynyddu cyfathrebiadau er mwyn pwysleisio pwysigrwydd mynd i'r ysgol. A all roi mwy o fanylion i ni ynglŷn â fformat y cyfathrebiadau hyn, ac ai dyma'r ymgyrch genedlaethol y mae'r pwyllgor am ei gweld? Felly, wrth gloi, Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn ddiolch i bawb a gyfrannodd at ein hymchwiliad unwaith eto, gan gynnwys y rhai a roddodd dystiolaeth ysgrifenedig a llafar, i fy nghyd-aelodau o'r pwyllgor, a'r Gweinidog a'i swyddogion am ymwneud yn gadarnhaol â'n gwaith. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at glywed beth sydd gan gyd-Aelodau a'r Gweinidog i'w ddweud. Diolch.