English: Absolutely. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move this Welsh Conservatives motion in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. I welcome this opportunity to open this incredibly important debate today at a critical for education in Wales. I do find it concerning that the Welsh Conservatives had to use their time allocation to talk about education, as it's the only opportunity we've had to highlight concerns to the Minister for education who, apart from questions earlier, has been hiding behind written statements so far this year. With the restrictions remaining in place in our schools in Wales, unlike in England, it is arguably of paramount importance that, as a Senedd, we have the opportunity to scrutinise current restrictions and concerns in arguably one of, if not the most important responsibilities of this Government. The motion aims to highlight the adverse effects that COVID-19 and the restrictions have had on children and young people across Wales, and notes the persistent per-pupil funding shortfall between Wales and other parts of the UK. Crucially, this motion calls on the Welsh Government to take action to overcome the impact of the pandemic on Welsh learners, to ensure that every young person can reach their full potential and have the very best start in life. Although unfortunately not in the motion laid before you, one of the most significant adverse effects of this pandemic has been on the preparedness for the most seismic change in education for a generation, the new Curriculum for Wales, which launches within months. Following conversations I've had with many school leaders and teachers, they are very concerned with the lack of support that they have had now during these final stages of preparation, particularly due to all the extra pressures put upon them at the moment, and also the lack of any explanation from this Welsh Government on what exams will look like in the future, to enable them to properly prepare for their lessons accordingly. Although more flexibility is greatly welcomed, it is a completely new way of working that is a far cry from how teaching has been for many decades. There's really no doubt now that there does need to be more clarity during these final stages of preparations so that teaching staff can themselves feel prepared, and to ensure that pupils are armed with the skills and knowledge they will need for those exams. With no clarity over the future of qualifications, secondary schools in particular, and with good reason, cannot immerse themselves fully into the curriculum design and development process - already a struggle for many due to pandemic pressures. There absolutely has to be an end goal, and we need to be seeing that clear goal as soon as possible. Teachers are craving this direction, and there needs to be a coherent, national professional learning offer available to school staff in Wales. Also, there is currently no clear understanding on how far subsidiarity, the bedrock of this new curriculum, can be stretched at school level. Fundamental things need to be addressed so that plans can be put in place as soon as possible, particularly due to the fact that planning time has been missed through no fault of this Government or teaching staff. I'm going off the point of how COVID has affected children and young people of Wales, you may think. But, no, the fact that preparing for the new Curriculum for Wales has taken a back seat is very concerning and a worrying impact that this pandemic has had over the last two years. Everyone wants the new curriculum to succeed, but the Minister must realise, as well as throwing in extra money, that more direction is now needed. With all the pressures of this pandemic, staff absences, pupil absences, the rise in home schooling and missed education, we now need this Government to throw everything it has at education to ensure that our children get the very best start in life, an education that gives them opportunities on a par at least with the rest of the UK, if not, hopefully, better. Unfortunately, we're not starting with much of an advantage. Learners in Wales have missed more days of their education last year than anywhere else in the UK - 66 days, over a third of the school year. This cannot but have a significant detrimental impact on our learners. This is evident from recent conclusions from the Estyn report, which identified that learner skills in Wales have suffered in maths, reading, Welsh language and social skills - all a result of school closures. This is very worrying. Unfortunately, Wales has been lagging far behind the rest of the UK in educational terms for decades now, and although the education Minister previously expressed some happiness that Wales had met the average Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development level for reading and oracy, for me, this is far from okay. Former Soviet bloc countries are on that same level. We should be way above that, at a minimum on a par with Scotland and England. There really is no excuse not to be.
Welsh: Yn sicr. Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n cyflwyno'r cynnig hwn gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn enw fy nghyd-Aelod, Darren Millar. Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle heddiw i agor y ddadl hynod bwysig hon ar adeg dyngedfennol i addysg yng Nghymru. Mae'n destun pryder fod y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig wedi gorfod defnyddio eu dyraniad amser i siarad am addysg gan mai dyma'r unig gyfle rydym wedi'i gael i ddwyn pryderon i sylw'r Gweinidog addysg sydd, ar wahân i'r cwestiynau yn gynharach, wedi bod yn cuddio y tu ôl i ddatganiadau ysgrifenedig hyd yn hyn eleni. Gyda'r cyfyngiadau'n parhau yn ein hysgolion yng Nghymru, yn wahanol i Loegr, gellid dadlau ei bod yn hollbwysig ein bod ni, fel Senedd, yn cael cyfle i graffu ar y cyfyngiadau a'r pryderon presennol mewn perthynas ag un o gyfrifoldebau pwysicaf y Llywodraeth hon, gellid dadlau, os nad y pwysicaf. Nod y cynnig yw tynnu sylw at yr effeithiau andwyol y mae COVID-19 a chyfyngiadau wedi'u cael ar blant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru a'r diffyg parhaus mewn cyllid fesul disgybl yng Nghymru o gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r DU. Yn hollbwysig, mae'r cynnig hwn yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gymryd camau i oresgyn effaith y pandemig ar ddysgwyr Cymru, er mwyn sicrhau y gall pob person ifanc gyrraedd ei botensial llawn a chael y dechrau gorau posibl mewn bywyd. Er nad yw wedi'i gynnwys yn y cynnig ger eich bron, yn anffodus, un o effeithiau andwyol mwyaf sylweddol y pandemig fu'r effaith ar y parodrwydd ar gyfer y newid mwyaf aruthrol mewn addysg ers cenhedlaeth, y Cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru, a fydd yn cael ei lansio ymhen ychydig fisoedd. Yn dilyn sgyrsiau rwyf wedi'u cael gyda llawer o arweinwyr ysgolion ac athrawon, maent yn pryderu'n fawr am y diffyg cefnogaeth a gawsant yn ystod y camau paratoi terfynol hyn, yn enwedig oherwydd yr holl bwysau ychwanegol sydd arnynt ar hyn o bryd, a hefyd y diffyg esboniad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â sut y cynhelir arholiadau yn y dyfodol, i'w galluogi i baratoi'n briodol ar gyfer eu gwersi yn unol â hynny. Er bod mwy o hyblygrwydd i'w groesawu'n fawr, mae'n ffordd gwbl newydd o weithio sy'n wahanol iawn i'r ffordd rydym wedi bod yn addysgu ers degawdau lawer. Nid oes amheuaeth bellach fod angen mwy o eglurder yn ystod y camau terfynol hyn o baratoi fel y gall staff addysgu eu hunain deimlo'n barod, a sicrhau bod disgyblion yn cael y sgiliau a'r wybodaeth y byddant eu hangen ar gyfer yr arholiadau hynny. Heb unrhyw eglurder ynghylch dyfodol cymwysterau, ni all ysgolion uwchradd yn arbennig, a chyda rheswm da, ymroi'n llawn i broses gynllunio a datblygu'r cwricwlwm - sydd eisoes yn anodd i lawer oherwydd pwysau'r pandemig. Yn sicr, mae'n rhaid cael nod terfynol, ac mae angen inni weld y nod clir hwnnw cyn gynted â phosibl. Mae athrawon yn crefu am y cyfarwyddyd hwn, ac mae angen sicrhau bod yna gynnig dysgu proffesiynol cydlynol a chenedlaethol ar gael i staff ysgolion yng Nghymru. Hefyd, nid oes dealltwriaeth glir ar hyn o bryd ynglŷn ag i ba raddau y gellir ymestyn sybsidiaredd, sylfaen y cwricwlwm newydd hwn, ar lefel yr ysgol. Mae angen mynd i'r afael â phethau sylfaenol fel y gellir rhoi cynlluniau ar waith cyn gynted â phosibl, yn enwedig oherwydd bod amser cynllunio wedi'i golli heb unrhyw fai ar y Llywodraeth hon na staff addysgu. Efallai eich bod yn meddwl fy mod wedi gwyro oddi ar y pwynt o ran sut y mae COVID wedi effeithio ar blant a phobl ifanc Cymru. Ond na, mae'r ffaith nad yw paratoi ar gyfer y Cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru yn brif flaenoriaeth yn peri pryder mawr ac mae'n un o effeithiau pryderus y pandemig hwn dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf. Mae pawb eisiau i'r cwricwlwm newydd lwyddo, ond mae'n rhaid i'r Gweinidog sylweddoli, yn ogystal â thaflu arian ychwanegol ato, fod angen mwy o gyfeiriad yn awr. Gyda holl bwysau'r pandemig hwn, absenoldebau staff, absenoldebau disgyblion, y cynnydd mewn addysg yn y cartref ac addysg a gollwyd, mae angen i'r Llywodraeth hon yn awr daflu popeth sydd ganddynt at addysg i sicrhau bod ein plant yn cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd, ac addysg sy'n rhoi cyfleoedd iddynt ar yr un lefel â gweddill y DU fan lleiaf, a gwell, gobeithio. Yn anffodus, nid ydym yn dechrau gyda llawer o fantais. Mae dysgwyr yng Nghymru wedi colli mwy o ddyddiau o'u haddysg y llynedd nag unrhyw le arall yn y DU - 66 diwrnod, dros draean o'r flwyddyn ysgol. Yn anorfod, mae hyn yn cael effaith andwyol sylweddol ar ein dysgwyr. Mae hyn yn amlwg o gasgliadau diweddar adroddiad Estyn, a nododd fod sgiliau dysgwyr yng Nghymru wedi dioddef mewn mathemateg, darllen, y Gymraeg a sgiliau cymdeithasol - y cyfan o ganlyniad i gau ysgolion. Mae hyn yn peri pryder mawr. Yn anffodus, mae Cymru wedi bod ymhell y tu ôl i weddill y DU o ran addysg ers degawdau bellach, ac er i'r Gweinidog addysg fynegi peth hapusrwydd yn y gorffennol fod Cymru wedi cyrraedd lefel gyfartalog y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd mewn darllen a llafaredd, i mi, mae hyn ymhell o fod yn iawn. Mae cyn wledydd y bloc Sofietaidd ar yr un lefel. Dylem fod ymhell uwchlaw hynny, ac ar yr un lefel â'r Alban a Lloegr fan lleiaf. Nid oes esgus dros beidio â bod mewn gwirionedd.