English: May I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement? I, too, felt that it was slightly strange that there were no details about the incentives that were being announced today, but thank you for giving us an outline of that in your response. I'd be interested to know how these incentives will compare with the rest of the UK. You did give us a brief outline, but that would be interesting to know, because we are in a very competitive situation when it comes to many of these issues. I also want to welcome the additional incentive that you're offering in terms of teachers who can teach through the medium of Welsh, because the recruitment level for Welsh-medium teachers in the year 2015-16, the last year that we have figures for, is at its lowest rate since 2008-9. So, put that alongside the Government's ambition in terms of the direction of travel on the number of Welsh speakers, then, clearly, we need to be proactive on that front, and I welcome that very warmly. Your statement mentions that we also need to look at rural areas specifically, but I don't see any reference to incentives in that context, and perhaps you could make a few comments on how you could incentivise people to look in that specific direction. You've also said in the past that there is a lack of variety and diversity across the teaching workforce, and you said to the committee a while ago that there's a job of work to be done by the Government there. There is nothing in your statement on that issue, and perhaps you could give us an update on what you have been doing to try to introduce more diversity into the teaching workforce in Wales. The ITE expert forum has also been looking at reviewing evidence from best practice for alternative routes into teaching. You've touched on this once or twice in the past, but it would be good to have an update and to know perhaps when we can expect a more comprehensive statement in that area. There are a number of barriers to the recruitment of new teachers, and no-one's claiming that there is a single solution. There is a series of solutions required, but one that comes up regularly is the requirement to have a B in GCSE maths. Now, I know that we are eager to raise standards in terms of the educators we have in Wales, but when someone like John Furlong himself raises questions on the value of that in the Children, Young People and Education Committee, I think it is important that we just take a step back and look at that, and I would ask you just to tell us whether you think that changing that is in the mix in any way whatsoever, or are you content that that is going to remain for the long term? We've touched on bureaucracy, so I won't pursue that particular issue. In terms of supply teachers, certainly I welcome the announcement made on cluster arrangements for supply teachers as a step in the right direction. As you said yourself, much of this work will be a pilot, but I share many of the questions on the low numbers of teachers and schools that were included in this. But, of course, we are talking here about 50 newly qualified teachers, whilst we have 4,000 supply teachers in Wales, and many of those certainly feel that they perhaps haven't been given the support and status that they would aspire towards. And I've raised with you on a number of occasions recently the problems surrounding pay and conditions, and I won't rehearse those issues, but the role of these private agencies, which have increased significantly from a dozen some years ago to more than 50 now, has caused a great deal of concern for many who work within the sector. So, what I would like to ask is: clearly, this is a pilot - it does give us some flavour of the direction of travel of the Government - but where do you see that provision and what kind of model do you see in the longer term? Is this the core of the model that you would like to see developed across Wales ultimately, or are you still looking at alternative models in addition to what's being outlined here? We've already heard that we need to devolve teachers' pay and conditions before we can tackle some of these issues to the extent that we would like to tackle them, but I would be pleased if you would confirm that your intention would be to tackle this issue of teachers' pay and conditions, once and for all, particularly for supply teachers, and the role of the private sector when you feel that you have the powers to do that. Just in conclusion, you say in your statement that the teaching workforce includes people in a number of different roles, all playing a key role in raising standards, but there is no mention here of classroom assistants, or certainly they haven't been mentioned as much as I would have liked in this general discussion about teacher recruitment, and the recruitment of classroom assistants, because they are an important element of the glue that holds the education system together, where there is huge pressure on the system. Many feel that this group haven't been given the recognition that they deserve, and certainly the pay and conditions that they deserve. I would be pleased to hear what your message is to them too, because it's important that we bear in mind that for every teacher, there is one classroom assistant in Wales. I would like to know what work you and your Government are doing in terms of the recruitment and retention of the workforce in that particular sector.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei datganiad? Rwyf innau hefyd yn teimlo ei bod hi braidd yn od nad oedd yna ddim manylion ynglŷn â'r cymhellion a oedd yn cael eu cyhoeddi heddiw, ond diolch i chi am roi amlinelliad i ni yn eich ymateb. Byddai diddordeb gyda fi wybod sut mae'r cymhellion newydd yma yn mynd i gymharu â gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig. Mi wnaethoch chi roi rhyw amlinelliad i ni, ond mi fyddai hynny'n ddifyr oherwydd ein bod ni mewn sefyllfa gystadleuol yn aml iawn pan mae'n dod i rai o'r pethau yma. Rwyf innau hefyd eisiau croesawu'r cymhelliad ychwanegol yr ŷch chi'n ei gynnig o safbwynt athrawon sy'n medru dysgu pynciau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, oherwydd mae lefel recriwtio athrawon cyfrwng Cymraeg yn y flwyddyn 2015-16, y flwyddyn ddiwethaf y mae gyda ni ffigurau ar ei chyfer, ar ei hisaf ers 2008-09. Felly, rhowch chi hynny ochr yn ochr ag uchelgais y Llywodraeth o safbwynt ble yr ŷm ni'n mynd ar nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg ac mae'n amlwg bod angen bod yn rhagweithiol ar y ffrynt yna, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny yn fawr iawn. Mi oedd eich datganiad chi'n sôn bod angen edrych hefyd ar ardaloedd gwledig yn benodol, ond nid wyf i'n gweld cyfeiriad at gymhellion yn y cyd-destun hynny. Efallai y gallech chi roi ychydig o sylwadau i ni ynglŷn â sut yr ŷch chi'n gweld modd o gymell pobl i edrych i'r cyfeiriad penodol yna. Rŷch chi hefyd wedi dweud yn y gorffennol fod yna ddiffyg amrywiaeth ar draws y gweithlu dysgu, ac mi ddywedoch chi wrth y pwyllgor ychydig yn ôl fod yna job o waith sydd angen ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â hynny gan y Llywodraeth. Nid oes dim byd yn eich datganiad chi ynglŷn â hynny, ac efallai y byddwch chi'n gallu rhoi diweddariad i ni o'r hyn yr ŷch chi wedi bod yn ei wneud i geisio cyflwyno mwy o amrywiaeth yn y gweithlu dysgu yng Nghymru. Mae'r grŵp arbenigol, yr 'ITE expert forum', hefyd wedi bod yn edrych ar adolygu tystiolaeth o'r arfer gorau am lwybrau amgen i mewn i ddysgu. Rŷch chi wedi cyffwrdd â hyn unwaith neu ddwy yn y gorffennol, ond byddai'n dda cael diweddariad ac efallai cael gwybod pryd y gallwn ni ddisgwyl rhywbeth mwy cynhwysfawr o gwmpas y maes yna. Mae yna nifer o rwystrau, wrth gwrs, i recriwtio athrawon newydd. Nid oes neb yn honni bod yn un ateb - mae angen cyfres o atebion, mewn gwirionedd. Ond un sy'n codi ei ben yn gyson yw'r gofyniad i gael gradd B mewn TGAU mathemateg. Nawr, rwy'n gwybod ein bod ni'n annog ac yn awyddus i godi safon yr addysgwyr sydd gennym ni yng Nghymru, ond pan mae rhywun fel John Furlong ei hunan yn codi cwestiwn ynglŷn â gwerth hynny yn y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, mae yn bwysig, rwy'n meddwl, ein bod ni jest yn stopio i edrych ar hynny. A byddwn i jest yn gofyn i chi ddweud: a ydych chi yn credu bod newid hwnnw yn y 'mix' o gwbl, neu a ydych chi'n gwbl hapus bod hynny'n mynd i aros yn yr hirdymor? Rŷm ni wedi cyffwrdd â biwrocratiaeth, felly af i ddim ar ôl hynny. O safbwynt yr athrawon cyflenwi, yn sicr rwy'n croesawu'r cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â'r trefniadau cyflenwi mewn clwstwr fel cam i'r cyfeiriad iawn. Fel yr ŷch chi'n dweud eich hunan, peilot yn amlwg fydd llawer o'r gwaith yma. Roeddwn innau hefyd yn rhannu rhai o'r cwestiynau ynglŷn â'r niferoedd isel o athrawon a'r niferoedd isel o ysgolion a oedd yn cael eu cynnwys yn hyn. Ond, wrth gwrs, rydym ni hefyd yn sôn fan hyn am 50 o athrawon newydd gymhwyso, tra bo gennym 4,000 o athrawon cyflenwi yng Nghymru, a nifer o'r rheini yn sicr yn teimlo nad ydyn nhw, efallai, wedi cael y gefnogaeth a'r statws y bydden nhw yn eu dymuno. Ac rydw i wedi codi gyda chi ar nifer o achlysuron yn ddiweddar y problemau o gwmpas tâl ac amodau, ac af i ddim nôl dros y tir yna, ond yn sicr mae rôl yr asiantaethau preifat yma, sydd wedi cynyddu yn sylweddol o ryw ddwsin rai blynyddoedd yn ôl i bron i 50 erbyn hyn, wedi peri tipyn o gonsérn i nifer sy'n gweithio yn y sector. Felly, yr hyn y liciwn i ofyn yw: yn amlwg, peilot yw hwn - mae'n rhoi rhyw flas ar y cyfeiriad, efallai, mae'r Llywodraeth yn symud tuag ato fe - ond ble ŷch chi'n gweld y ddarpariaeth, a pha fath o fodel ŷch chi'n gweld yn y tymor hir? A ydy hyn yn gnewyllyn o'r model y byddech chi'n hoffi ei weld yn cael ei ddatblygu ar draws Cymru yn y pen draw, neu a ydych chi'n dal i fod yn edrych ar fodelau amgen yn ogystal â'r hyn sydd wedi cael ei gyhoeddi hefyd? Rŷm ni wedi clywed, wrth gwrs, fod yn rhaid datganoli tâl ac amodau i athrawon cyn bo modd, efallai, mynd i'r afael i'r graddau y byddem ni i gyd yn hoffi mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion yma. Ond byddwn i'n falch petasai chi'n cadarnhau mai'ch bwriad chi yn y pen draw fydd mynd i'r afael, unwaith ac am byth, â'r mater o dâl ac amodau i athrawon cyflenwi a rôl y sector breifat pan fyddwch chi'n teimlo bod gennych chi'r pwerau i wneud hynny. A jest i gloi, rŷch chi'n dweud yn eich datganiad bod y gweithlu dysgu yn cynnwys pobl mewn nifer o rolau gwahanol, oll yn chwarae rhan allweddol wrth godi safonau, ond nid oes yna ddim sôn am gynorthwywyr dosbarth wedi bod cymaint ag y byddwn i'n licio yn y drafodaeth gyffredinol yma am recriwtio athrawon, a recriwtio a chadw cynorthwywyr dosbarth, a dweud y gwir, oherwydd maen nhw yn elfen bwysig o'r glud sy'n dal y gyfundrefn addysg at ei gilydd yn y dyddiau sydd ohoni, lle mae llawer o bwysau ar y system. Mae yna lawer yn teimlo nad yw'r grŵp yma chwaith wedi cael y gydnabyddiaeth y maen nhw yn ei haeddu, ac yn sicr y tâl a'r amodau y maen nhw yn eu haeddu. Byddwn i'n falch o glywed beth yw'ch neges chi iddyn nhw hefyd, oherwydd mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n cofio, am bob un athro, mae yna un cynorthwyydd dosbarth yng Nghymru, a byddwn i'n licio gwybod pa waith ŷch chi a'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud o ran recriwtio a chadw'r gweithlu yn y sector benodol honno.