English: I move the amendments. Thank you. I must say that I was extremely disappointed in reading the Conservative motion, which focuses on this year's GCSE results mainly. I was even more disappointed in seeing the Government's amendment, which again focuses on GCSE and A-level results. The Conservative motion gives a negative spin on the results. The Government's amendment puts a positive spin on the same set of results. Anyone who is involved with education will know full well that meaningful, credible comparisons can't be made by looking at one set of crude results for one year and setting them against another set from another year. As one who has been a chair of governors, a cabinet member for education and chair of GwE, I know that this is foolish and meaningless and everyone in the sector understands that too. We need to look at attainment over a period of time, and even in trying to make comparisons, so much has changed since the year that the Conservatives have chosen, namely 2007. The specifications themselves have changed, access patterns for examinations have changed, the grades that count towards the performance measures have changed - and so on and so forth. What's important is that we move away from a system of accountability that drives the education system in a negative direction from a pupil's point of view - for example, a system that encourages a focus on those people who are on the boundary between C and D at the expense of those who are either above them or below them, and move away from a system that puts pressure on learners to take exams time and time again to get better results, or even doesn't allow some pupils to take exams in order to avoid lower grades. I see the Minister agreeing. I know that she agrees on this. We need to move away from a system that sees pupils as data rather than people and pushes schools to operate as factories rather than educational establishments, but unfortunately that's exactly what this discussion does. It focuses on the weaknesses in the system. We also need to move away from a system that has increased the stress and workload of teachers significantly and has placed significant stress and pressure on pupils too. I welcome the move by Government towards a system where the emphasis is on assessment, namely assessment that provides valuable feedback, both to the teacher and the learner, rather than focusing on external accountability, and that is a significant and positive step forward. That's why I was disappointed to see the direction of travel of that amendment. Our amendments do highlight what needs to be done in order to raise standards. Yes, pupils leave half of Welsh secondary schools without reaching their full potential. Yes, we need urgent changes. That's the fact that can't be spun. That's where we need to focus. And the greatest change required in order to raise standards is to ensure sufficient levels of funding that allow appropriate staffing levels that ensure that pupils receive additional support and preventative interventions when needed. I received a letter from a governing body of a Gwynedd secondary school just yesterday. This is a cri de coeur. I will quote from the letter, because it states much better than I could what the problem is: 'I write to express our grave concerns and dissatisfaction about the insufficient funding of schools on a continual basis. We urge the Welsh Government to address this funding crisis. We believe that there must be urgent change and that appropriate funds need to be provided to our schools and educational professionals and pupils. The future of our children is at stake. We have one opportunity to put pupils through the education system, and through cutting funds, the Government is failing our pupils. Cuts mean over the years that staff have lost their jobs and it's likely that more will need to be cut in future. The impact of redundancies means an additional workload on current staff and the other impacts of insufficient funding is that fewer resources are available for pupils, there is less choice in subjects, classes are larger, there is less support for the children who need it, less support for parents and families, and fewer opportunities for children to take part in extra-curricular activities. This cannot continue and we cannot allow this to go without challenge.' That letter explains the situation very clearly. So, support the Plaid Cymru amendments. Don't be drawn into a debate about GCSE results. Face the reality that we need more funding for our schools.
Welsh: Dwi'n symud y gwelliannau. Diolch. Rhaid imi ddweud roeddwn i'n hynod o siomedig o ddarllen cynnig y Torïaid sydd am ganlyniadau TGAU yr haf yma yn bennaf. Roeddwn i'n fwy siomedig byth o weld gwelliant y Llywodraeth, sydd eto yn canolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau TGAU a safon uwch. Mae cynnig y Torïaid yn rhoi sbin negyddol i'r canlyniadau, ac mae cynnig y Llywodraeth yn rhoi sbin cadarnhaol i'r un canlyniadau. Mae unrhyw un sydd yn ymwneud â'r byd addysg yn gwybod yn iawn na ellir gwneud cymariaethau credadwy, ystyrlon drwy edrych ar un set o ganlyniadau amrwd o un flwyddyn a'u gosod nhw yn erbyn set arall. Fel un sydd wedi bod yn gadeirydd llywodraethwyr, yn aelod cabinet addysg ac yn gadeirydd cyd-bwyllgor GwE, dwi'n gwybod bod hyn yn ffôl ac yn ddi-werth, ac mae pawb yn y sector yn gwybod hynny hefyd. Mae angen edrych ar gyflawniad dros dreigl amser, ac hyd yn oed o drio gwneud cymariaethau, mae yna gymaint wedi newid ers y flwyddyn mae'r Torïaid wedi dewis, sef 2007. Mae'r manylebau eu hunain wedi newid, mae patrymau mynediad ar gyfer arholiadau wedi newid, mae pa radd sy'n cyfrif tuag at y mesurau perfformiad - ac yn y blaen, ac yn y blaen. Yr hyn sy'n bwysig ydy ein bod ni'n symud i ffwrdd oddi wrth system atebolrwydd sy'n gyrru'r system addysg i gyfeiriadau negyddol o safbwynt dysgwyr - er enghraifft, system sy'n annog canolbwyntio ar y disgyblion hynny sydd ar y ffin rhwng C a D ar draul y rheini sydd uwchlaw neu oddi tani hi, symud i ffwrdd o system sy'n rhoi pwysau ar ddysgwyr i sefyll arholiadau dro ar ôl tro er mwyn cael canlyniadau gwell, neu efallai hyd yn oed peidio â chaniatáu i rai disgyblion sefyll arholiad er mwyn osgoi cael graddau is ac yn y blaen. Dwi'n gweld y Gweinidog yn ysgwyd ei phen. Dwi'n gwybod ei bod hi'n cytuno efo hyn; mae angen symud i ffwrdd o system sy'n trin disgyblion fel data yn hytrach na phobl ac yn gwthio ysgolion i weithredu fel ffatrïoedd yn hytrach na sefydliadau addysgol. Ond yn anffodus, dyna'n union mae'r drafodaeth yma yn ei wneud. Mae'n canolbwyntio ar y gwendidau yn y system. Mae angen symud i ffwrdd hefyd o system sydd wedi cynyddu'r llwyth gwaith a straen ar athrawon yn aruthrol ac wedi rhoi pwysau a straen ar ddisgyblion. Dwi'n croesawu'r symudiad gan y Llywodraeth at system lle mae'r pwyslais ar asesu ar gyfer dysgu - hynny yw, asesu sy'n rhoi adborth gwerthfawr i'r athro a'r dysgwr, yn hytrach nag at bwrpas atebolrwydd allanol, ac mae hynny'n gam arwyddocaol a phositif. Dyna pam roeddwn i'n siomedig o weld y trywydd y mae'r gwelliant yn mynd â ni iddo fo. Mae ein gwelliannau ni yn tanlinellu beth sydd angen ei wneud er mwyn codi safonau. Ydyn, mae disgyblion yn gadael hanner ysgolion uwchradd Cymru heb gyrraedd eu llawn botensial. Oes, mae angen newidiadau ar frys. Dyna'r ffaith nad oes yna ddim ffordd o roi sbin arno fo. Dyna sydd eisiau inni hoelio sylw arno fo. Y newid mwyaf sydd ei angen er mwyn codi safonau yw sicrhau lefelau cyllido digonol, sy'n caniatáu lefelau staffio priodol, sy'n sicrhau y caiff disgyblion gefnogaeth ychwanegol ac ymyraethau ataliol yn ôl yr angen. Mi ges i lythyr gan gorff llywodraethwyr un o ysgolion uwchradd Gwynedd ddoe diwethaf. Dyma ichi gri o'r galon. Dwi'n mynd i ddyfynnu o'r llythyr achos mae o'n dweud yn lot gwell na fedraf i beth yw'r broblem: 'Ysgrifennaf i fynegi ein pryderon dwfn ac anfodlonrwydd am gyllid annigonol parhaus i ysgolion. Rydym yn erfyn ar Lywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng cyllido hwn. Credwn fod yn rhaid cael newid ar fyrder a rhoi cyllid priodol sydd ei angen ar ein hysgolion, gweithwyr addysg proffesiynol a disgyblion. Mae dyfodol ein plant yn y fantol. Un cyfle sydd gan ddisgyblion i fynd drwy'r system addysg, a thrwy dorri cyllid mae'r Llywodraeth yn methu ein disgyblion. Golyga toriadau ariannol dros y blynyddoedd fod staff wedi colli eu swyddi, ac mae'n debyg y bydd angen torri mwy yn y dyfodol. Mae effaith diswyddiadau yn golygu llwyth gwaith cynyddol ar ein staff presennol, ac effeithiau eraill cyllid annigonol yw bod llai o adnoddau i'r disgyblion, llai o ddewis mewn pynciau ysgol, meintiau dosbarth mwy, llai o gefnogaeth ychwanegol i blant sydd ei hangen, llai o gefnogaeth i deuluoedd a rhieni, a llai o gyfleoedd i blant gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau cyfoethogi. Ni all hyn barhau, a ni allwn adael i hyn fynd heb ei herio.' Mae'r llythyr yn egluro'r sefyllfa yn glir iawn. Felly, cefnogwch welliannau Plaid Cymru. Peidiwch â chael eich tynnu i mewn i drafodaeth am ganlyniadau TGAU. Wynebwch y realiti a rhowch mwy o gyllid i'n hysgolion ni.