English: Now, everyone understands that the situation emerges from the financial settlement that local authorities receive from the Welsh Government, and that the Welsh Government's settlement derives from the settlement from the Westminster Government. But now, of course, the situation has reached a point where the impact on the profession and the pupils alike will be so detrimental that we must consider it to be critical. We must therefore raise our voice against these ongoing cuts, and we must see what we can do to work together more effectively to reduce these detrimental effects on our schools. So, Plaid Cymru's motion essentially calls for three things. The time has come for us to bring together all the key stakeholders in the education system in Wales to consider what options there are to, once again, review the way in which schools in Wales are funded. I say that because the second point in the motion, namely that the financial landscape for schools in Wales, as it currently stands, is very complex, multilayered and bureaucratic, and is inconsistent across Wales too. As a result, that isn't in keeping with a system that is transparent, where one can ensure accountability and hold people to account. I will expand on that a little. I've raised in the past the way in which the Government funds the education system and how the funding reaches schools in many different ways, but mainly through the local authorities, of course. Most of the funding passes through the revenue support grant, the RSG, and some, of course, is provided in grant form for specific purposes, which has been ring-fenced, very often. The Government also provides some funding for the education consortia. Some funding is provided more directly to schools through the grants and other programmes. Then, sixth-form funding happens through a different system again, and I think we start to see how confused and confusing that landscape can be. And then add to that, of course, the fact that you have 22 local authorities, 22 funding formulas, which are different in all counties, and the situation is exacerbated. There are also inconsistencies to be seen in the Welsh Government's approach to the way in which funding is targeted to improve educational outcomes. This is something that the education committee has referred to and highlighted on a number of occasions. We recall the way in which the Government scrapped the education improvement grant for learners who are Gypsy, Roma and Travellers, and those from ethnic minorities, and it was mainstreamed into the RSG, claiming that that wasn't going to lead to the loss of the educational outcomes that the Government wished to ensure when that grant was ring-fenced. But then, the Cabinet Secretary for Education strongly defends the need for specific funding that is ring-fenced for the PDG, in order to endure educational outcomes for those who qualify for free school meals. Therefore, those two views from the same Government are contradictory, to all intents and purposes, and I think that's just an example of the inconsistency that we regularly find within the funding regime. Let me be clear here: Plaid Cymru certainly isn't calling for the direct funding of schools, in case anyone thinks that that's my direction of travel in this area. We see a key role for local authorities in all of this as a means of ensuring that there is more co-ordination and coherence. It brings opportunities to share expertise, resources, all of the economies of scale, and all of these other reasons that have been validly outlined in the past, in order to ensure that there is co-ordination at a local level. But I do think there is room to look at a simpler regime that is also more consistent. Local authorities and schools have also been calling, for example, for longer term funding, which would allow them to plan more effectively and to use the funding more efficiently as a result of that, particularly in relation to staffing issues. I do realise that time is against me. Some stakeholders, including some of the teaching unions, have called for a national funding formula in order to bring an end to that postcode lottery - I mentioned that £1,000 difference earlier - and to provide the same rights to all pupils, as they would put it, and fair funding. That brings us to the third point of the motion: what would represent fair funding? Does the Government have an idea of how much should be spent per pupil in order to ensure that every pupil receives quality education? I don't know. People often compare England and Wales, and I think that's a false comparison, but I will respond to some of the other amendments at the end. The NAHT has said that there needs to be a national inquiry into school funding in order to ensure that sufficient resources are available in the system to enable schools to introduce this exciting agenda of reform that we all want to see. I believe that that would be a good idea. A national inquiry or audit would give us a more honest and a clearer picture of the current situation in all parts of Wales, and it would be a starting point for this national debate that we need to have on school funding in Wales. As I said, I will deal with the amendments in concluding, having heard all of the contributions. But, as I said at the outset, this isn't just a debate saying, 'Well, give more money to schools.' I do understand the reality of austerity, but I am also convinced that a time of austerity is the most important time to invest in our young people in order to empower them to build a better, more prosperous future than the one that they have inherited. And if this Government doesn't prioritise education funding sufficiently, then we will all pay a price for that.
Welsh: Nawr, mae pawb yn deall bod y sefyllfa yma yn deillio o'r setliad ariannol y mae awdurdodau lleol wedi'i dderbyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru, a bod setliad Llywodraeth Cymru, yn ei dro, yn deillio o'r setliad gan Lywodraeth San Steffan. Ond, erbyn hyn, wrth gwrs, mae'r sefyllfa wedi cyrraedd pwynt lle bydd yr effaith ar y proffesiwn a'r disgyblion, fel ei gilydd, mor niweidiol fel bod yn rhaid inni ystyried y sefyllfa yma yn argyfwng. Mae'n rhaid inni felly godi llais yn erbyn y parhad yma o safbwynt y toriadau, ac mae'n rhaid inni hefyd weld beth allwn ni ei wneud i gydweithio yn fwy effeithiol i leihau'r effaith andwyol yma y mae'n ei chael ar ein hysgolion ni. Felly, mae cynnig Plaid Cymru, yn ei hanfod, yn galw am dri pheth. Mae'r amser wedi dod inni ddwyn ynghyd holl randdeiliaid allweddol y system addysg yng Nghymru i ystyried pa opsiynau sydd yna, mewn gwirionedd, i edrych eto ar y modd y mae ysgolion yng Nghymru yn cael eu hariannu. Rwy'n dweud hynny oherwydd yr ail bwynt sydd yn y cynnig, sef bod y tirlun ariannu ysgolion yng Nghymru, fel y mae hi ar hyn o bryd, yn un dyrys, yn un aml-haen a biwrocrataidd ac, yn wir, yn un anghyson ar draws Cymru. O ganlyniad, wrth gwrs, nid yw hynny'n gydnaws â chyfundrefn sydd yn dryloyw, lle mae modd sicrhau atebolrwydd a dal pobl i gyfrif hefyd. Mi ymhelaethaf ychydig ynglŷn â hynny. Rwyf wedi codi yn y gorffennol y modd y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ariannu'r gyfundrefn addysg, a sut y mae'r pres yn cyrraedd ysgolion mewn sawl ffordd wahanol - yn bennaf, wrth gwrs, drwy awdurdodau lleol. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r arian yn mynd drwy'r grant cefnogi refeniw, yr RSG, a pheth yn mynd ar ffurf grantiau penodol at ddibenion penodol, wedi cael eu 'ring-fence-io'. Mae'r Llywodraeth hefyd yn darparu peth arian ar gyfer y consortia addysg. Mae peth arian yn mynd yn fwy uniongyrchol at yr ysgolion drwy grantiau a rhaglenni eraill. Wedyn, mae ariannu chweched dosbarth, wrth gwrs, yn digwydd drwy gyfundrefn wahanol eto, ac rŷm ni'n dechrau gweld, rwy'n credu, pa mor ddryslyd y mae'r dirwedd yna yn gallu bod. Wedyn, ychwanegwch chi at hynny y ffaith bod gennych chi 22 awdurdod lleol, 22 fformiwla ariannu gwahanol ym mhob sir, ac mae'r sefyllfa'n dwysau. Mae anghysondebau hefyd i'w gweld, os caf i ddweud, yn ymagwedd Llywodraeth Cymru tuag at y modd y mae cyllid yn cael ei dargedu i wella canlyniadau addysgol. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth y mae'r pwyllgor addysg wedi cyfeirio ato a thynnu sylw ato ar sawl achlysur. Rŷm ni'n cofio'r modd yr aeth y Llywodraeth ati i ddileu'r grant gwella addysg ar gyfer dysgwyr sy'n Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr a lleiafrifoedd ethnig, a'i brif-ffrydio i mewn i'r RSG, gan honni nad oedd hynny'n mynd i arwain at golli'r canlyniadau addysgiadol yr oedd y Llywodraeth yn dymuno eu sicrhau pan oedd y grant wedi'i neilltuo. Ond wedyn, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg yn amddiffyn yn gryf yr angen am arian penodol wedi'i neilltuo ar gyfer y PDG er mwyn sicrhau canlyniadau addysgol ar gyfer y rhai sydd yn gymwys am ginio ysgol am ddim. Felly, mae'r ddau safbwynt yna gan yr un Llywodraeth yn gwrth-ddweud ei gilydd i bob pwrpas, ac rwy'n meddwl bod hynny'n enghraifft, efallai, o'r anghysondeb rydym yn dod ar ei draws yn gyson o fewn y gyfundrefn ariannu. A gaf i fod yn glir fan hyn? Nid yw Plaid Cymru, yn sicr, yn galw am ariannu uniongyrchol i ysgolion - rhag ofn bod unrhyw un yn meddwl mai dyna le rwy'n mynd ar hwn. Rŷm ni'n gweld rôl allweddol i awdurdodau lleol yn hyn o beth fel modd i sicrhau bod mwy o gydlynu, bod mwy o gysondeb. Mae'n dod â chyfle i rannu arbenigedd, rhannu adnoddau, yr holl economies of scale, a'r holl resymau eraill mae eraill eisoes yn y gorffennol wedi'u hamlinellu dros sicrhau bod yna gydgordio yn digwydd ar lefel leol. Ond, rwy'n meddwl bod yna le i edrych ar greu cyfundrefn fwy syml a mwy cyson. Mae awdurdodau lleol ac ysgolion wedi bod yn galw hefyd, er enghraifft, am gyllidebu mwy tymor hir, a fyddai'n caniatáu iddyn nhw gynllunio'n fwy effeithiol a defnyddio'r pres yn fwy effeithlon yn sgil hynny, yn enwedig o safbwynt materion staffio. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod yr amser yn mynd. Mae rhai rhanddeiliaid, gan gynnwys rhai o'r undebau athrawon, wedi galw am fformiwla ariannu genedlaethol er mwyn dod â'r loteri cod post yna i ben - roeddwn yn sôn amdani gynnau: y £1,000 o wahaniaeth yna - a rhoi i bob disgybl yr un hawl, medden nhw, a chyllideb deg. Mae hynny'n dod â ni at drydydd pwynt y cynnig: beth fyddai'n cynrychioli cyllid teg? A oes gan y Llywodraeth syniad o faint y maen nhw'n credu y dylid ei wario fesul disgybl er mwyn sicrhau bod pob un yn derbyn addysg safonol? Nid wyf yn siŵr. Mae pobl yn cymharu'n aml iawn Cymru a Lloegr, ac rwy'n meddwl bod honno'n ddadl ffug, ond mi wnaf i ymateb i rai o'r gwelliannau eraill ar y diwedd. Mae'r NAHT wedi dweud bod angen archwiliad cenedlaethol o gyllid ysgolion er mwyn sicrhau bod adnoddau digonol yn y system i alluogi ysgolion i gyflwyno'r agenda o ddiwygio cyffrous yma yr ydym ni i gyd am ei weld. Rwy'n meddwl y byddai hynny yn syniad da. Mi fyddai archwiliad neu awdit cenedlaethol yn rhoi darlun cliriach, mwy gonest i ni o'r sefyllfa gyfredol ymhob rhan o Gymru, ac yn fan cychwyn, rwy'n meddwl, ar gyfer y drafodaeth genedlaethol yma sydd ei hangen ar ariannu ysgolion yng Nghymru. Fel yr oeddwn i'n dweud, gwnaf i ddelio â'r gwelliannau wrth gloi, ar ôl clywed yr holl gyfraniadau. Ond, fel y dywedais ar y dechrau, nid jest dadl yn dweud, 'Rhowch fwy o arian i ysgolion' yw hon. Rwyf i yn deall realiti llymder, ond rwyf hefyd yn grediniol mai adeg o lymder yw'r amser pwysicaf i fuddsoddi yn ein plant a'n pobl ifanc, er mwyn eu harfogi nhw a'u hymbweru nhw i adeiladu dyfodol gwell a mwy llewyrchus na'r un y maen nhw wedi ei etifeddu. Ac os na fydd y Llywodraeth yma yn blaenoriaethu ariannu addysg yn ddigonol, yna mi fyddwn ni i gyd yn talu'r pris.