English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Now, this debate actually today, Minister, is indeed very timely. Many of our schools now are having to take drastic decisions. I don't think she's listening, but there we go. This is particularly true in Conwy County Borough Council, where this year alone schools are on a real terms cut of over 7.6 per cent, equating to over £400,000 at some secondary schools. Now, I do hope the Minister's aware of this letter that's doing the rounds, and it's gone home to every single parent within the schools in Conwy, and it's been signed off by seven headteachers of the secondary schools. They are saying it is make or break time for our schools. The financial situation has become critical. They are having to consider larger class sizes, fewer teachers; school buildings falling into disrepair; reduction in support for additional learning needs and well-being needs; cuts in teaching assistants and support staff; outdated IT; fewer trips and after-school activities; and grants being used to support the core provision of our schools. This situation has been echoed by other school leaders who have persistently raised concerns that targeted funding such as the PDG is masking the inadequacy of, and is filling gaps in, core budgets. For example, the Association of School and College Leaders have stated that core budgets are no longer sufficient to maintain the levels of expert staffing, maintain school buildings and purchase the necessary equipment required to ensure that all our schools are able to deliver the best possible education for the young people of Wales. Using the current school services indicator-based assessment - IBA - formula, local authorities determine their relative need and how much spending should be allocated to schools. However, not all local authorities are providing schools with the amount of funding specified in the IBA, and that is something that you should be looking at. For example, while the 2018-19 gross schools expenditure was budgeted at £2.56 billion, the funding actually delegated to schools was £2.16 billion - less than the IBA figure of £2.42 billion. The pupil spend in Wales, as Mohammad here has pointed out, is nearly £700 less than in England, with a shortfall of £283 million. Despite the Welsh Government setting a target for 85 per cent of all school funding to go directly to schools in 2012, the target has never been achieved at an all-Wales level. The seriousness of the situation is apparent when considering that the association - [ Interruption.] No, I've only got four minutes. The Association of School and College Leaders Cymru estimate that, of the £2.5 billion allocated for schools in the education budget, al least £450 million is not getting to schools because it is retained by local authorities or regional consortia. As such, it is reasonable to ask what is going on and whether the funding is being used effectively. Suzy Davies is quite correct to dispel the argument that this is just down to austerity. Many schools are falling in the national school categorisation system, including one from - [ Interruption.] Allow me to finish. I've only got four minutes. The negative impact this is having on pupils is apparent when considering the gap between eligible-for-free-school-meal pupils and non-EFSM pupils' attainment widened between 2016 and 2017. Paul Davies eloquently described well how schools in his constituency are suffering as a direct result of these funding issues. He's also correct to point out the need to be reviewing the actual regional consortia and the expenses and bureaucracy that they add. I go around my schools, I go around and speak to my headteachers, and I can tell you what you're doing is not working. The regional consortium in itself is an over-burdensome, bureaucratic nightmare that is taking money away from our schools. I ask you, Minister, please, if nothing else, review the workings of the regional consortia.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Nawr, mae'r ddadl hon heddiw'n amserol iawn mewn gwirionedd, Weinidog. Mae nifer o'n hysgolion bellach yn gorfod gwneud penderfyniadau eithafol. Nid wyf yn meddwl ei bod hi'n gwrando, ond dyna ni. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir yng Nghyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, lle mae'r ysgolion eleni'n unig yn wynebu toriad mewn termau real o dros 7.6 y cant, sy'n cyfateb i dros £400,000 mewn rhai ysgolion uwchradd. Nawr, rwy'n gobeithio bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'r llythyr hwn sy'n mynd o gwmpas, ac mae wedi mynd adref at bob rhiant yn ysgolion Conwy, ac mae wedi'i lofnodi gan saith o benaethiaid ysgolion uwchradd. Maent yn dweud ei bod yn adeg dyngedfennol i'n hysgolion. Mae'r sefyllfa ariannol yn enbyd bellach. Maent yn gorfod ystyried dosbarthiadau mwy o faint, llai o athrawon; adeiladau ysgol sy'n dadfeilio; gostyngiad yn y cymorth ar gyfer anghenion dysgu ychwanegol ac anghenion lles; toriadau i niferoedd cynorthwywyr addysgu a staff cymorth; TG hen ffasiwn; llai o deithiau ysgol a gweithgareddau ar ôl ysgol; a grantiau'n cael eu defnyddio i gefnogi darpariaeth graidd ein hysgolion. Mae'r sefyllfa hon wedi'i hategu gan arweinwyr ysgolion eraill sydd wedi mynegi pryderon cyson fod cyllid wedi'i dargedu megis y grant datblygu disgyblion yn cuddio annigonolrwydd y cyllidebau craidd, ac yn llenwi bylchau ynddynt. Er enghraifft, mae'r Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau wedi dweud bod cyllidebau craidd yn annigonol bellach i gynnal lefelau staff arbenigol, cynnal adeiladau ysgolion a phrynu'r offer angenrheidiol sydd ei angen i sicrhau bod ein holl ysgolion yn gallu darparu'r addysg orau bosibl i bobl ifanc Cymru. Gan ddefnyddio'r fformiwla presennol ar gyfer gwasanaethau ysgol, sef asesu seiliedig ar ddangosydd, mae awdurdodau lleol yn pennu eu hangen cymharol a faint o wariant y dylid ei ddyrannu i ysgolion. Fodd bynnag, nid yw pob awdurdod lleol yn darparu'r swm o arian a nodwyd yn y fformiwla seiliedig ar ddangosydd i ysgolion, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y dylech fod yn edrych arno. Er enghraifft, er bod y gwariant gros i ysgolion ar gyfer 2018-19 wedi'i gyllidebu'n £2.56 biliwn, y cyllid a ddirprwywyd i ysgolion mewn gwirionedd oedd £2.16 biliwn - llai na'r ffigur asesu seiliedig ar ddangosydd o £2.42 biliwn. Mae gwariant y disgybl yng Nghymru, fel y dywedodd Mohammad yma, bron £700 yn llai nag yn Lloegr, gyda diffyg o £283 miliwn. Er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gosod targed i 85 y cant o'r holl gyllid i ysgolion fynd yn uniongyrchol i ysgolion yn 2012, ni chyrhaeddwyd y targed erioed ar lefel Cymru gyfan. Mae difrifoldeb y sefyllfa yn amlwg wrth ystyried bod y gymdeithas - [ T orri ar draws.] Na, dim ond pedair munud sydd gennyf. Mae Cymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau Cymru yn amcangyfrif, o'r £2.5 biliwn a ddyrannwyd ar gyfer ysgolion yn y gyllideb addysg, nad yw o leiaf £450 miliwn ohono'n cyrraedd yr ysgolion am ei fod yn cael ei gadw gan awdurdodau lleol neu gonsortia rhanbarthol. Fel y cyfryw, mae'n rhesymol gofyn beth sy'n digwydd ac a yw'r cyllid yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol. Mae Suzy Davies yn hollol gywir i chwalu'r ddadl mai deillio o gyni y mae hyn. Mae llawer o ysgolion yn methu yn y system gategoreiddio ysgolion ar lefel genedlaethol, gan gynnwys un yn - [ T orri ar draws.] Gadewch i mi orffen. Pedair munud sydd gennyf. Mae'r effaith negyddol a gaiff hyn ar ddisgyblion yn amlwg wrth ystyried bod y bwlch rhwng cyrhaeddiad disgyblion sy'n gymwys ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim a chyrhaeddiad disgyblion nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim wedi cynyddu rhwng 2016 a 2017. Disgrifiodd Paul Davies yn huawdl sut y mae ysgolion yn ei etholaeth yn dioddef o ganlyniad uniongyrchol i'r materion cyllido hyn. Mae hefyd yn gywir i nodi'r angen i adolygu'r consortia rhanbarthol eu hunain a'r treuliau a'r fiwrocratiaeth y maent yn eu hychwanegu. Rwy'n mynd o gwmpas fy ysgolion, rwy'n mynd o gwmpas i siarad â fy mhenaethiaid, a gallaf ddweud wrthych nad yw'r hyn a wnewch yn gweithio. Mae'r consortiwm rhanbarthol ynddo'i hun yn hunllef feichus a biwrocrataidd sy'n mynd ag arian oddi wrth ein hysgolion. Gofynnaf i chi, Weinidog, os gwelwch yn dda, os na wnewch unrhyw beth arall, adolygwch weithrediadau'r consortia rhanbarthol.