English: Can I thank the Member for her questions? Prior to making my announcement of my proposals for extending the summer term by a week, we had secured the agreement of the WLGA, and that proposal was endorsed by all 22 leaders and the directors of education. I was very clear - I think I did a webinar with teaching unions that very evening - that the fourth week would be a voluntary week. It goes above and beyond people's usual terms and conditions. We wanted to treat people fairly, hence offering the time in lieu in the October half term, and it would be a voluntary basis. Many staff and support workers, as well as headteachers, stepped up and were willing to maximise the opportunity for children. However, at a later date, local authorities expressed their concerns that they felt they were not able to secure a fourth week. With regard to the unions, quite understandably the unions expressed concerns to me, not of the fourth week, although they wanted us to be clear it could only be done on a voluntary basis and we couldn't compel people to do that, and I was quite happy to acknowledge that. The main source of concerns from unions is about the decision to return to school before September. Many union leaders have expressed their desire that schools should not reopen until September, and I've made it very clear that that would leave such a significant gap and a significant amount of time without children being in school, that it was a huge source of concern to me. And given the scientific advice that it was safe to return to school prior to September, I felt it was absolutely necessary to embrace that opportunity and, where at all possible, to maximise the opportunity for children to check in with staff.
Welsh: A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei chwestiynau? Cyn cyhoeddi fy nghynigion ar gyfer ymestyn tymor yr haf am wythnos, roeddem wedi sicrhau cytundeb Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, a chymeradwywyd y cynnig hwnnw gan bob un o'r 22 arweinydd a'r cyfarwyddwyr addysg. Roeddwn yn glir iawn - credaf i mi gael gweminar gydag undebau'r athrawon y noswaith honno - y byddai'r bedwaredd wythnos yn wythnos wirfoddol. Mae'n mynd y tu hwnt i delerau ac amodau arferol pobl. Roeddem yn awyddus i drin pobl yn deg, a thrwy hynny gynnig yr amser yn gyfnewid am amser yn ystod hanner tymor mis Hydref, a byddai'n digwydd ar sail wirfoddol. Roedd llawer o staff a gweithwyr cymorth, yn ogystal â phenaethiaid, yn barod i fanteisio i'r eithaf ar y cyfle i blant. Fodd bynnag, ar ddyddiad diweddarach, mynegodd awdurdodau lleol eu pryderon nad oeddent yn teimlo eu bod yn gallu cynnig pedwaredd wythnos. O ran yr undebau, yn ddigon dealladwy, mynegodd yr undebau eu pryderon wrthyf, nid am y bedwaredd wythnos, er eu bod am inni fod yn glir mai dim ond ar sail wirfoddol y gellid gwneud hynny ac ni allem orfodi pobl i'w wneud, ac roeddwn yn ddigon bodlon i gydnabod hynny. Prif ffynhonnell pryderon yr undebau yw'r penderfyniad i ddychwelyd i'r ysgol cyn mis Medi. Mae llawer o arweinwyr undebau wedi mynegi eu dymuniad na ddylai ysgolion ailagor tan fis Medi, ac rwyf wedi dweud yn glir iawn y byddai hynny'n gadael bwlch mor sylweddol a llawer iawn o amser heb i blant fod yn yr ysgol, nes ei fod yn destun pryder enfawr i mi. Ac o ystyried y cyngor gwyddonol ei bod hi'n ddiogel i ddychwelyd i'r ysgol cyn mis Medi, teimlwn ei bod yn gwbl angenrheidiol inni achub ar y cyfle hwnnw ac os yn bosibl, i fanteisio i'r eithaf ar y cyfle i blant gael amser gyda'r staff.