English: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Colleagues, learners in Wales have been going back to nursery, schools and colleges over the last two weeks, and I want to thank them, teachers, tutors and all education staff for the way in which they have dealt with and, indeed, are still dealing with COVID-19. I want to thank them for their hard work, their resilience and their co-operation as we navigate our way through these most difficult of times. Of course, I recognise that in any situation such as this, it is not without any risk. However, I continue to be guided by the latest medical and scientific advice in making any decision on the safe return of learners. My priorities throughout this pandemic have been the safety and well-being of staff and learners, whilst delivering maximum learning with minimal disruption to our young people. I believe that going back to school is critical for children's development and for their health and their well-being, especially those who are most vulnerable in our communities, and I'm grateful for the effort that schools, colleges, local authorities and trade unions have made to ensure that school and college environments are as safe as possible for all learners. These measures include increased cleaning, hygiene stations for staff and learners and reduced movement and contact between groups. Wales's technical advisory group were also clear that we must have a robust trace and protect strategy in place as a prerequisite for a wider reopening of schools. And as has been rehearsed earlier in the Chamber, this has been a real success story here in Wales, with not only a high number of contacts being traced within 24 hours, but also a clear approach to outbreak management, which will help support schools in moving forward. Of course, our education and nursery settings may be fully open, but this is not going back to normal. For staff and learners alike it is a continuing challenge after so many months of distance learning, and the possibility of further spikes in cases and the disruption that that causes. This is a difficult time as education settings are still having to plan for different models of learning as well as managing contact and social distancing within their school environments. Therefore, along with the regions, we have provided guidance to ensure that learning and progression continues and remains safe. It is very likely that time away from school has had a negative impact on many of our young people. They may need support to be ready to learn once again and to reintegrate into the school environment. We may see significant well-being challenges, over and above what we would normally expect at the start of a new academic year. Key areas of learning may have been lost during the time away from school and schools will need flexibility to address these issues. I want schools and other settings to be able to respond to this and invest time in supporting learners' well-being. We cannot expect schools to execute all of their duties in respect of our curriculum for all learners in all circumstances, given circumstances we all face, and therefore I have decided to modify the basic curriculum and associated assessment requirements to a 'reasonable endeavours' basis for the first 30 days of September. In doing this I want to provide schools with flexibility to reintegrate students and to develop resilient and relevant learning plans. This is about helping schools as they return to full-time learning in their buildings. But we know that many learners have not progressed as much as they would ordinarily have done so, and we need to address this. As teachers and heads continue to welcome pupils back, I know that they will be assessing learners' needs and development, building on the check-in period for everyone before the summer break. My clear message to them is that funding is there in council and school budgets to recruit extra staff and teaching assistants for this academic year. Building on their understanding of where learners are in their learning, our investment of over £29 million is targeted to ensure that extra teachers and support is there for years 11, 12 and 13, as well as disadvantaged and vulnerable learners of all ages. I know that teachers, as well as parents, share my concern about potential learning loss and the attainment gap. This month will help heads and teachers better understand how they can use the funding provided to support extra coaching, personalised learning programmes and additional time and resources for those pupils facing exams. We have also been working with directors of education and education trade unions to develop guidance to support ongoing provision in schools, and this includes clear advice on social distancing. We have issued advice to schools and education workforce unions on COVID-19 more generally, and via Dysg, and we will continue to provide information and guidance as the needs arise. We have also been working collectively across the Government to address issues around school transport, with £10 million additional funding allocated to assist local authorities. This money has helped them provide additional capacity to meet statutory requirements following the updated guidance issued recently by the traffic commissioner. As we all understand, situations can change rapidly during a pandemic. I can assure you, however, that we will continue to work within and across Government, and with our other partners, to provide guidance and advice to ensure the safety of our staff and our young people. And together, even in these uncertain times, we will continue to focus on raising standards for all, reducing the attainment gap and ensuring that we have a system that is a source of pride and enjoys public confidence.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae cydweithwyr a dysgwyr yng Nghymru wedi dychwelyd i'r meithrinfeydd, ysgolion a cholegau dros y pythefnos diwethaf, ac rwy'n awyddus i ddiolch iddyn nhw, i'r athrawon, y tiwtoriaid a'r holl staff addysgol am y ffordd y maen nhw wedi ymdrin ac, yn wir, yn parhau i ymdrin â COVID-19. Fe hoffwn i ddiolch iddyn nhw am eu gwaith caled, eu cydnerthedd a'u cydweithrediad wrth inni ymlwybro drwy'r cyfnod mwyaf dyrys hwn. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n cydnabod nad oes modd, mewn unrhyw sefyllfa fel hon, peidio â chael unrhyw risg o gwbl. Er hynny, y cyngor meddygol a gwyddonol diweddaraf sy'n fy nhywys i wrth wneud unrhyw benderfyniad am ddysgwyr yn dychwelyd i'w haddysg yn ddiogel. Fy mlaenoriaethau i drwy gydol y pandemig hwn fu diogelwch a lles staff a dysgwyr, gan ddarparu'r addysg orau bosibl gyda chyn lleied â phosibl o amharu yn digwydd i'n pobl ifanc ni. Rwyf i o'r farn fod mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol yn hanfodol i ddatblygiad plant ac i'w hiechyd a'u lles nhw, yn enwedig y rhai sydd fwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymunedau ni, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am yr ymdrech a wnaeth ysgolion, colegau, awdurdodau lleol ac undebau llafur i sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd mewn ysgolion a cholegau mor ddiogel ag sy'n bosibl i bob dysgwr. Mae'r mesurau hyn yn cynnwys mwy o lanhau, gorsafoedd hylendid i staff a dysgwyr, a llai o symud a chyswllt rhwng grwpiau. Roedd grŵp cynghori technegol Cymru yn eglur hefyd fod yn rhaid inni sefydlu strategaeth gadarn o olrhain a diogelu fel un o'r rhagofynion ar gyfer ailagor ysgolion yn ehangach. Ac fel y mynegwyd yn gynharach yn y Siambr, mae hyn wedi bod yn llwyddiant mawr yma yng Nghymru. Mae nifer fawr o gysylltiadau yn cael eu holrhain o fewn 24 awr, ond hefyd gwelwyd dull clir o reoli achosion, a fydd yn help i gefnogi ysgolion i symud ymlaen. Wrth gwrs, efallai fod ein lleoliadau addysg a meithrin ar agor yn llawn, ond nid yw hyn yn golygu normalrwydd. I staff a dysgwyr fel ei gilydd mae'n her barhaus ar ôl misoedd lawer o ddysgu o bell, a'r posibilrwydd o achosion pellach a'r tarfu a achosir gan hynny. Cyfnod anodd iawn yw hwn gan fod lleoliadau addysg yn dal i orfod cynllunio ar gyfer gwahanol fodelau dysgu yn ogystal â rheoli cyswllt a chadw pellter cymdeithasol o fewn amgylchedd eu hysgolion. Felly, ynghyd â'r rhanbarthau, rydym wedi darparu canllawiau i sicrhau bod dysgu a dilyniant yn parhau ac yn aros yn ddiogel. Mae'n debygol iawn bod amser i ffwrdd o'r ysgol wedi cael effaith negyddol ar lawer o'n pobl ifanc ni. Efallai y bydd angen cymorth arnyn nhw i fod yn barod i ddysgu unwaith eto ac ailintegreiddio i amgylchedd yr ysgol. Efallai y gwelwn ni heriau sylweddol o ran llesiant, yn ychwanegol at yr hyn y byddem ni'n ei ddisgwyl fel arfer ar ddechrau blwyddyn academaidd newydd. Efallai fod meysydd dysgu allweddol wedi mynd ar goll yn ystod yr amser i ffwrdd o'r ysgol a bydd angen hyblygrwydd ar ysgolion i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hyn. Rwy'n awyddus i ysgolion a lleoliadau eraill allu ymateb i hynny a buddsoddi amser er mwyn cefnogi llesiant y dysgwyr. Ni allwn ddisgwyl i ysgolion gyflawni eu holl ddyletswyddau mewn cysylltiad â'r cwricwlwm i bob dysgwr mewn pob amgylchiad, o ystyried yr amgylchiadau yr ydym i gyd yn eu hwynebu. Felly, rwyf wedi penderfynu addasu'r cwricwlwm sylfaenol a'r gofynion asesu cysylltiedig ar sail 'ymdrech resymol' ar gyfer 30 diwrnod cyntaf mis Medi. Wrth wneud hyn rwy'n awyddus i roi hyblygrwydd i ysgolion wrth ailintegreiddio myfyrwyr a datblygu cynlluniau addysg sy'n gadarn ac yn berthnasol. Mae hyn yn golygu helpu ysgolion wrth iddyn nhw ailddechrau addysg amser llawn yn eu hadeiladau. Ond fe wyddom fod yna lawer o ddysgwyr nad ydyn nhw wedi datblygu cymaint ag y byddent wedi ei wneud fel arfer, ac mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â hynny. Wrth i athrawon a phenaethiaid barhau i groesawu disgyblion yn ôl, gwn y byddant yn asesu anghenion a datblygiad dysgwyr, gan adeiladu ar y cyfnod ailgydio i bawb cyn toriad yr haf. Fy neges glir i iddyn nhw yw bod yr arian ar gael yng nghyllidebau'r cynghorau ac ysgolion i recriwtio staff a chynorthwywyr addysgu ychwanegol ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd hon. Gan adeiladu ar eu dealltwriaeth nhw o sefyllfa addysgol eu dysgwyr nhw, mae ein buddsoddiad ni o dros £29 miliwn wedi ei dargedu i sicrhau bod athrawon a chymorth ychwanegol yno ar gyfer blynyddoedd 11, 12 ac 13, yn ogystal â dysgwyr difreintiedig ac agored i niwed o bob oedran. Gwn fod athrawon, yn ogystal â rhieni, yn pryderu fel minnau am y dysgu a gollwyd a'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. Fe fydd y mis hwn yn helpu penaethiaid ac athrawon i ddeall yn well sut y gallan nhw ddefnyddio'r arian a ddarperir i gefnogi hyfforddiant ychwanegol, rhaglenni addysg bersonol ac amser ac adnoddau ychwanegol i'r disgyblion hynny sy'n wynebu arholiadau. Rydym wedi bod yn gweithio hefyd gyda chyfarwyddwyr addysg ac undebau llafur addysg i ddatblygu canllawiau i gefnogi darpariaeth gyfredol mewn ysgolion, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys cyngor clir ar gadw pellter cymdeithasol. Rydym wedi darparu cyngor i ysgolion ac undebau'r gweithlu addysg ar COVID-19 yn fwy cyffredinol, a thrwy Dysg, ac fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i ddarparu gwybodaeth ac arweiniad wrth i'r anghenion godi. Rydym wedi bod yn cydweithio hefyd ar draws y Llywodraeth i fynd i'r afael â materion sy'n ymwneud â chludiant i'r ysgol, a dyranwyd £10 miliwn o arian ychwanegol i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol. Mae'r arian hwn wedi eu helpu i ddarparu capasiti ychwanegol i fodloni gofynion statudol yn dilyn y canllawiau diweddaraf a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar gan y comisiynydd traffig. Fel yr ydym ni i gyd yn deall, fe all sefyllfaoedd newid yn gyflym iawn mewn cyfnod o bandemig. Gallaf eich sicrhau chi, er hynny, y byddwn ni'n parhau i weithio o fewn ac ar draws y Llywodraeth, a chyda'n partneriaid eraill ni, i roi arweiniad a chyngor i sicrhau diogelwch i'n staff a'n pobl ifanc ni. A chyda'n gilydd, hyd yn oed yn y cyfnod ansicr hwn, fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i ganolbwyntio ar godi safonau i bawb, a lleihau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad, ac yn sicrhau bod gennym system sy'n destun balchder ac y mae'r cyhoedd yn ymddiried ynddi.