English: Thank you, Llywydd. To begin with, can I thank Mick Antoniw and his committee for their feedback? Accessibility to legislation is an important part of the rule of law, and we will endeavour to ensure that, in bringing any education legislation forward, that principle is upheld. But I'm glad that the Chair recognises that the law is still correct, but obviously we will do our best to ensure that his comments are reflected in future legislation that comes before him. With regard to the points made by Suzy Davies, which were numerous, I will absolutely clarify that the expectation is that, wherever possible, schools should deliver the national curriculum for Wales, but we have moved to a best endeavours because we recognise the significant pressure that our practitioners are under at the moment. I spent my afternoon talking to a range of headteachers who are doing tremendous work in keeping their schools open; responding to the needs of their learners; responding to the needs of parents, their communities; but doing so, often, whilst handling maybe a COVID incident in their own school, engaging with test, trace and protect teams. They remain under a huge amount of stress, managing staff absence, whether that's COVID related or non-COVID related, and finding cover for those members of staff, when sometimes it's difficult to recruit and recruit that cover into schools, even on a temporary basis. Whilst schools remain under this pressure, I do believe it is appropriate to give them and local authorities the space so that they can concentrate on delivering the guidance, as set out in our learning documents. Now, Suzy Davies does raise a very legitimate point about the ability of schools to switch seamlessly in a way that many were unable to do at the height of the pandemic, between provision within the classroom and delivering lessons remotely. And I think that we are indeed seeing a huge step change in the ability of schools to do just that, whether that be teachers delivering lessons remotely from their own homes, because they themselves are self-isolating, or being able to deliver both synchronous and asynchronous lessons to students who are out of school. During the month of September, already, we have seen the establishment of over 25,000 Google Classrooms. That is more Google Classrooms set up in the last month than over the last couple of academic years. It just demonstrates the readiness of our schools to move to that provision if necessary. But, even in that provision, Suzy, I'm sure you'd agree with me, that it's impossible to access a lab; it's impossible to deliver physical education easily in those types of settings. So, we do need to be able to give schools the confidence that they are not worrying about potentially breaking a law and, as I said, to give them the space to attend to the health and well-being needs of their community, the health and well-being needs of their own staff, I should say, who are working under tremendous pressure, as well as having, as I said, the implication that they should use all their best endeavours to fulfil a full curriculum. I'm content that these regulations are necessary and that the associated statutory notices meet the required test of being appropriate and proportionate, and I believe they also offer a high degree of assurance around the curriculum and assessment arrangements the schools are expected to deliver whilst, as I said, providing that crucial flexibility to respond to additional considerations. It means that schools will need to do everything they can to reasonably fulfil their duties, but it does allow that flexibility, which I feel, at this stage of the pandemic, continues to be key. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. I ddechrau, a gaf i ddiolch i Mick Antoniw a'i bwyllgor am eu hadborth? Mae hygyrchedd deddfwriaeth yn rhan bwysig o reolaeth y gyfraith, a byddwn ni'n ceisio sicrhau, wrth gyflwyno unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth addysg, y caiff yr egwyddor honno ei chynnal. Ond rwy'n falch bod y Cadeirydd yn cydnabod bod y gyfraith yn dal yn gywir, ond mae'n amlwg y byddwn ni'n gwneud ein gorau i sicrhau bod ei sylwadau'n cael eu hadlewyrchu mewn deddfwriaeth a fydd yn dod ger ei fron yn y dyfodol. O ran y pwyntiau a wnaethpwyd gan Suzy Davies, a oedd yn niferus, yn sicr fe wnaf esbonio mai'r disgwyl yw, lle bynnag y bo modd, y dylai ysgolion gyflwyno'r cwricwlwm cenedlaethol i Gymru, ond rydym wedi symud i ymdrechion gorau oherwydd rydym yn cydnabod y pwysau sylweddol sydd ar ein hymarferwyr ar hyn o bryd. Treuliais fy mhrynhawn yn siarad ag amrywiaeth o benaethiaid sy'n gwneud gwaith aruthrol i gadw eu hysgolion ar agor; ymateb i anghenion eu dysgwyr; ymateb i anghenion rhieni, eu cymunedau; ond gwneud hynny, yn aml, wrth ymdrin â COVID yn eu hysgol eu hunain, gan ymgysylltu â thimau profi, olrhain a diogelu. Maen nhw'n parhau i fod o dan lawer iawn o straen, yn rheoli absenoldeb staff, boed hynny'n gysylltiedig â COVID neu ddim, a dod o hyd i staff cyflenwi ar gyfer yr aelodau staff hynny, pan fydd weithiau'n anodd recriwtio a recriwtio'r athrawon cyflenwi i ysgolion, hyd yn oed dros dro. Er bod ysgolion yn parhau i fod o dan y pwysau hwn, credaf ei bod yn briodol rhoi lle iddynt hwy ac awdurdodau lleol fel y gallant ganolbwyntio ar gyflwyno'r canllawiau, fel y nodir yn ein dogfennau dysgu. Nawr, mae Suzy Davies yn codi pwynt dilys iawn am allu ysgolion i newid yn ddi-dor mewn ffordd nad oedd llawer yn gallu ei wneud ar anterth y pandemig, rhwng darpariaeth yn yr ystafell ddosbarth a chyflwyno gwersi o bell. A chredaf ein bod yn wir yn gweld newid sylweddol enfawr yng ngallu ysgolion i wneud yr union beth hwnnw, boed hynny'n athrawon yn cyflwyno gwersi o bell o'u cartrefi eu hunain, oherwydd eu bod nhw eu hunain yn hunan-ynysu, neu'n gallu darparu gwersi cydamserol ac anghydamserol i fyfyrwyr nad ydyn nhw yn yr ysgol. Yn ystod mis Medi, eisoes, rydym wedi gweld dros 25,000 o ystafelloedd dosbarth Google yn cael eu sefydlu. Mae hynny'n fwy o ystafelloedd dosbarth Google yn cael eu sefydlu yn ystod y mis diwethaf na dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd academaidd diwethaf. Mae'n dangos parodrwydd ein hysgolion i symud i'r ddarpariaeth honno os oes angen. Ond, hyd yn oed yn y ddarpariaeth honno, Suzy, rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cytuno â mi, ei bod yn amhosibl cael mynediad i labordy; mae'n amhosibl darparu addysg gorfforol yn hawdd yn y mathau hynny o leoliadau. Felly, mae angen i ni allu rhoi'r hyder i ysgolion nad ydyn nhw'n poeni am dorri cyfraith o bosibl ac, fel y dywedais, rhoi'r cyfle iddyn nhw fynd i'r afael ag anghenion iechyd a lles eu cymuned, anghenion iechyd a lles eu staff eu hunain, dylwn ddweud, sy'n gweithio dan bwysau aruthrol, yn ogystal â chael, fel y dywedais, yr awgrym y dylen nhw ddefnyddio eu holl ymdrechion gorau i gyflwyno cwricwlwm llawn. Rwy'n fodlon bod angen y rheoliadau hyn a bod yr hysbysiadau statudol cysylltiedig yn bodloni'r prawf gofynnol o fod yn briodol ac yn gymesur, ac rwy'n credu eu bod hefyd yn cynnig llawer o sicrwydd ynghylch y cwricwlwm a threfniadau asesu y disgwylir i'r ysgolion eu cyflwyno wrth, fel y dywedais, ddarparu'r hyblygrwydd hollbwysig hwnnw i ymateb i ystyriaethau ychwanegol. Mae'n golygu y bydd angen i ysgolion wneud popeth o fewn eu gallu i gyflawni eu dyletswyddau'n rhesymol, ond mae'n caniatáu'r hyblygrwydd hwnnw, sydd, yn fy nhyb i, yn y cam hwn o'r pandemig, yn parhau i fod yn allweddol. Diolch.