English: The problem with speaking at this point in any debate - well, certainly this one - is that many things have been said. Half the Members have already put the boot into the poor Lib Dem scapegoat, or whatever. They were unfortunate words that they used, and they were not my words, Kirsty - they're words of other Members. And now David Melding has pulled the positive rug from under my feet by talking about some of the good things that have happened in Wales. So, there is little left for me to add to the good comments that have gone before, other than to say that I would also like to add my congratulations to students who've worked so hard to achieve their grades this summer, as well as the teachers and the parents who supported them. I hope that at least most students got what they needed to progress on to the next stage of their careers. I'm delighted to hear about your relative, David Melding, and wish her all the best at the University of East Anglia. While a number of results across Wales may have been disappointing, I would like to highlight some of the results in schools in my own constituency, including my old school, Croesyceiliog, which bucked the national trend and saw an improvement in the percentage of students getting five A* to C grades including English and Maths. At A-level, Monmouth Comprehensive School and King Henry VIII School saw increases in the percentage of students getting three A* to C grades, rising to 75 per cent and 55 per cent respectively, as well as a promising improvement in the pass rate in Chepstow. I know that you've got all these figures at your fingertips, so you know these, Cabinet Secretary. [ Interruption.] I'm going to stop there with the schools. Overall, Monmouthshire saw improvements in all the key indicators at A-level, but at GCSE, Monmouthshire's secondary schools did follow the national trend and saw a dip in the five A* to C measure, so I think I'd like to hear - and we'd all like to hear - from the Cabinet Secretary some of the reasons that you feel we are seeing this Wales-wide decline at that level of qualification. Given that we are dealing with new qualifications, how can you assure us that standards are being maintained from year to year, and that a C achieved in 2016 is of an equal standard to that achieved in 2017 or 2018? There are very real concerns in schools that the hurdles have not been secured at the exact same height. If that is just a perception, then it is a perception, but it's one that needs to be addressed and dealt with so that we can have confidence in the system. I'm sure you would agree that we need rigorous and robust qualifications. Grading must also be fair to each year group so that our economy can have confidence in what those grades mean. Now, as you know, Cabinet Secretary, I'm a reasonable man and, in the ilk of David Melding, I must say that there are areas that impact on school standards where the Welsh Government deserves some credit. Last week, the First Minister visited the brand-new Monmouth Comprehensive School - a £45 million joint project between the Welsh Government and the Conservative-run Monmouthshire County Council. I know that the First Minister has been impressed with what has been achieved there - an awe-inspiring building and an example of Welsh Government and local authority collaboration in delivering on the twenty-first century school model. I also recognise that the Welsh Government has committed to a further contribution to my local authority in the next round of twenty-first century schools funding in an effort to upgrade some of what is left of some of the worst buildings, particularly in the secondary sector. So, I look forward to hearing about your plans to continue the process of redesigning education through modifying our school buildings. Finally, I'd like to say a little about the funding gap, which other Members have touched on, and I welcome that, finally, in a Government amendment, there is a tentative acceptance that there is a funding gap, although you claim that that has narrowed, not because of any action by the Welsh Government, but due to decisions in England. I don't think this is the case with education of simply passing the buck and blaming the UK Government, which we hear too often. Clearly, there is an issue with funding across the board, but we do have to make the most of the resources we have and make sure that that is best targeted. The fact remains that there has been, and continues to be, a funding gap of hundreds of pounds per pupil, which, in an average primary school of 210 pupils, could mean as much as £100,000 per year. That's extra teachers, teaching assistants, information technology equipment, all those people who contribute to the positive outcomes in young people achieving their full potential. That's the reality on the ground. My own local authority has increased school spending as a share of its budget, despite receiving some of the deepest cuts of any local authority in Wales in terms of the overall amount - the revenue support grant - and we know that the underfunding of rural councils continues to be a problem. You know full well, coming from a rural constituency, what that can mean. Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, as we heard in the previous debate, we often hear a lot of words in this Chamber that are very well meaning, but, I think, to paraphrase Lee Waters in the previous debate, the time for words is rapidly coming to an end and we really need to see some action and some improvement in these areas.
Welsh: Y broblem gyda siarad ar y pwynt hwn mewn unrhyw ddadl - wel, hon yn sicr - yw bod llawer o bethau wedi cael eu dweud. Mae hanner yr Aelodau eisoes wedi rhoi cic i fwch dihangol y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, neu beth bynnag. Roeddent yn eiriau anffodus, ac nid fy ngeiriau i oeddent, Kirsty, ond geiriau Aelodau eraill. Ac yn awr mae David Melding wedi tynnu'r mat cadarnhaol o dan fy nhraed drwy sôn am rai o'r pethau da sydd wedi digwydd yng Nghymru. Felly, ychydig o amser sydd ar ôl gennyf i ychwanegu at y sylwadau da a aeth o'r blaen, heblaw dweud yr hoffwn innau hefyd ychwanegu fy llongyfarchiadau i fyfyrwyr sydd wedi gweithio mor galed i gael eu graddau yr haf hwn, yn ogystal â'r athrawon a'r rhieni a'u cefnogodd. Rwy'n gobeithio o leiaf fod y rhan fwyaf o fyfyrwyr wedi cael yr hyn oedd ei angen arnynt i symud ymlaen i gam nesaf eu gyrfaoedd. Rwy'n falch iawn o glywed am eich perthynas, David Melding, ac yn dymuno'n dda iddi ym Mhrifysgol East Anglia. Er bod nifer o ganlyniadau ar draws Cymru wedi bod yn siomedig, hoffwn dynnu sylw at rai o'r canlyniadau mewn ysgolion yn fy etholaeth fy hun, gan gynnwys fy hen ysgol, Croesyceiliog, a aeth yn groes i'r duedd genedlaethol ac a welodd welliant yng nghanran y myfyrwyr a gafodd bum gradd A* i C gan gynnwys Saesneg a Mathemateg. Yn yr arholiadau Safon Uwch, gwelodd Ysgol Gyfun Trefynwy ac Ysgol y Brenin Harri VIII gynnydd yng nghanran y myfyrwyr a gafodd dair gradd A* i C, gan godi i 75 y cant a 55 y cant yn eu tro, yn ogystal â gwelliant addawol yn y gyfradd lwyddo yng Nghas-gwent. Gwn fod gennych yr holl ffigurau hyn ar flaen eich bysedd, felly rydych yn gwybod am y rhain, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. [ Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n mynd i roi'r gorau iddi yn y fan honno gyda'r ysgolion. Yn gyffredinol, gwelodd sir Fynwy welliannau ym mhob un o'r dangosyddion allweddol ar gyfer Safon Uwch, ond ar lefel TGAU, roedd ysgolion uwchradd sir Fynwy yn dilyn y duedd genedlaethol a gwelwyd gostyngiad yn y mesur pum gradd A* i C, felly credaf yr hoffwn glywed - a hoffai pawb ohonom glywed - gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet beth yw rhai o'r rhesymau pam y teimlwch ein bod yn gweld y dirywiad hwn ledled Cymru ar y lefel honno o gymhwyster. O gofio ein bod yn ymdrin â chymwysterau newydd, sut y gallwch ein sicrhau y caiff safonau eu cynnal o flwyddyn i flwyddyn, a bod C a gafwyd yn 2016 o safon gyfartal i'r hyn a gafwyd yn 2017 neu 2018? Mae yna bryderon go iawn mewn ysgolion nad yw'r clwydi ar yr un uchder yn union. Os mai canfyddiad yn unig yw hynny, canfyddiad ydyw, ond mae'n un sydd angen ei ystyried a rhoi sylw iddo er mwyn inni allu cael hyder yn y system. Rwy'n sicr y byddech yn cytuno bod angen inni gael cymwysterau trylwyr a chadarn. Rhaid i raddio fod yn deg i bob grŵp blwyddyn hefyd fel y gall ein heconomi gael hyder yn yr hyn y mae'r graddau hynny'n ei olygu. Nawr, fel y gwyddoch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rwy'n ddyn rhesymol ac yn debyg i David Melding, rhaid imi ddweud bod yna feysydd sy'n effeithio ar safonau mewn ysgolion lle mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn haeddu rhywfaint o glod. Yr wythnos diwethaf, ymwelodd y Prif Weinidog ag ysgol newydd sbon, Ysgol Gyfun Mynwy - prosiect gwerth £45 miliwn ar y cyd rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Chyngor Sir Fynwy a arweinir gan y Ceidwadwyr. Gwn fod yr hyn a gyflawnwyd yno wedi creu argraff ar y Prif Weinidog - adeilad syfrdanol ac enghraifft o gydweithio rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdod lleol i gyflawni yn ôl y model ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Rwyf hefyd yn cydnabod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gyfraniad pellach i fy awdurdod lleol yn y rownd nesaf o gyllid ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain mewn ymgais i uwchraddio peth o'r hyn sy'n weddill o rai o'r adeiladau gwaethaf, yn enwedig yn y sector uwchradd. Felly, edrychaf ymlaen at glywed am eich cynlluniau i barhau'r broses o ailgynllunio addysg drwy addasu adeiladau ein hysgolion. Yn olaf, hoffwn ddweud ychydig am y bwlch cyllido y cyfeiriodd Aelodau eraill ato, ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith fod yna dderbyniad petrus o'r diwedd mewn gwelliant gan y Llywodraeth fod yna fwlch cyllido, er eich bod yn honni ei fod wedi lleihau, nid oherwydd unrhyw gamau gweithredu gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ond oherwydd penderfyniadau a wnaethpwyd yn Lloegr. Gydag addysg, nid wyf yn credu ei fod yn fater o daflu'r baich a beio Llywodraeth y DU, fel y clywn yn rhy aml. Yn amlwg, mae problem gydag arian yn gyffredinol, ond mae'n rhaid inni wneud y mwyaf o'r adnoddau sydd gennym a gwneud yn siŵr ei fod yn cael ei dargedu yn y ffordd orau. Erys y ffaith bod bwlch cyllido wedi bod, ac yn parhau i fod, sy'n gannoedd o bunnoedd y disgybl, ac sydd, mewn ysgol gynradd gyfartalog o 210 o ddisgyblion, yn gallu golygu cymaint â £100,000 y flwyddyn. Mae hynny'n golygu athrawon ychwanegol, cynorthwywyr ychwanegol, offer technoleg gwybodaeth ychwanegol, yr holl bobl sy'n cyfrannu at y canlyniadau positif wrth i bobl ifanc gyrraedd eu potensial llawn. Dyna'r realiti ar lawr gwlad. Mae fy awdurdod lleol fy hun wedi cynyddu gwariant ysgolion fel cyfran o'i gyllideb, er iddo ddioddef rhai o'r toriadau dyfnaf o blith holl awdurdodau lleol Cymru o ran y swm cyffredinol - y grant cynnal refeniw - a gwyddom fod tanariannu cynghorau gwledig yn parhau i fod yn broblem. Fe wyddoch yn iawn, a chithau'n dod o etholaeth wledig, beth y gall hynny ei olygu. Yn olaf, Ddirprwy Lywydd, fel y clywsom yn y ddadl flaenorol, rydym yn aml yn clywed llawer o eiriau yn y Siambr hon sydd wedi'u bwriadu'n dda iawn, ond i aralleirio Lee Waters yn y ddadl flaenorol, rwy'n credu bod yr amser i siarad yn dod i ben yn gyflym ac mae gwir angen inni weld gweithredu a gwelliannau yn y meysydd hyn.