English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank Suzy Davies for those questions? Can I begin by saying that absolutely no disrespect was meant to Members of this Chamber with regard to an interview I gave The Sunday Times? The Member is quite right, that interview took place two weeks ago. I'm not clear why The Sunday Times decided to sit on the interview, and it was given to that paper in response to the publication of both sets of advice given to me, and what we gave the paper was a description, because they didn't understand the difference between the two sets of advice. That publication was beyond my control, but I assure you no disrespect was meant to Members of this Chamber, and as you will have read, if you read The Sunday Times story, there was a great deal of speculation, some of it quite obvious, given the similarity between both sets of advice in regard to - [ Inaudible.] - and the story was wrong with regard to the decision I've made about A-levels. So, I just want to reassure the Chamber that no disrespect was meant by that, and it's a lesson for me. The Member talked about the vaccine, and I understand why, because this has been an incredibly grim year for all of us and therefore even this chink of light at the prospect of the vaccine coming forward is something that we all want to grab a hold of in the circumstances we find ourselves in. Deputy Presiding Officer, I guess we're all grateful for those incredible minds across the world that are working so hard to try and develop that vaccine, but I just think we have to have a little bit of caution. There is still a long way to go, and the sheer scale of the challenges of distribution, even if we get to the point where a vaccine can be distributed, is really, really challenging, and the First Minister outlined some of those earlier. With regard to the roll-out of that vaccine, then, clearly, we will be guided by the committee that provides advice to Governments across the UK as to the appropriate use of the vaccine, and it's simply too early to tell at this stage, but, clearly, vulnerable members of society, whether they be working in education or outside of education I'm sure will be a priority. What we're also looking at are alternative testing regimes to support education and help minimise the disruption and that's much more in the forefront of our minds, because that's a much more likely situation that we can implement sooner in Wales rather than the vaccine. Suzy Davies says that the decision today demonstrates the challenges of blended learning, and how we have supported learners who find themselves outside of school. I think she is right to point out the fact that that situation is variable, and we continue to work with the education sector to iron out that variability. Only last week, during the firebreak, I'm aware of some schools that delivered the entirety of their timetable via live lessons; other schools weren't able to do that. But I'm sure the Member would admit - and if she listened to the headteacher that was on Radio Wales this morning - even when that blended learning is of the best quality, it is no substitute for being in school. And the problem that I face, and the problem that our teachers and our students face, is that we cannot guarantee how much time they will spend in front of their teachers. We have already seen huge amounts of variability. Some children, as I said, are very, very fortunate, have not been affected and they've been able to be in school all of the time. Other children - students I spoke to - have already endured four weeks of having to isolate because they've been in a bubble that has seen a positive case. So, it's not - . I agree we need to do better on blended learning, but that's not necessarily the reason for this driver today. With regard to the nature of the assessments, it is really important that there is a variety of ways in which children are assessed. With regard to the nature and number of the assessments, that detail will be for the design and delivery group, as in response to the recommendation by Louise Casella's report, learning the lessons from last year of not doing something to the system, but actually working with the system to create a robust and equal and as fair a system as possible that is indeed mindful of teacher workload. There is a balance to be struck about empowering teachers in this process and, believe me, they want to be empowered, and there are lots of them that want to take on this role, but also to be mindful of the incredible pressure that they're already under simply keeping the doors open, and there's that balance to be struck between what other members of the education sector can do in Wales to support them in this work. The Member also talked about what happens if a group is out. Well, the externally set assessments will be made available to schools, but it will be for schools to decide, when they can, when those assessments should be undertaken, so there's a degree of flexibility there that should account for some of the public health challenges that we may face. With regard to universities, the universities were very clear with me what their priorities were. Firstly, that is learning, teaching and learning, and ensuring that students have the key knowledge and concepts to allow them to be successful when they get to university. And so therefore maximising the time for teaching and learning was very important for them; this system allows us to do that. The other important element was that there was an equality assurance, and that our regulator was happy to sign off on these proposals, and that is, again, the system that we have arrived at. With regard to vocational qualifications, we simply are not in the same position with vocational qualifications, given the nature that, as I said in my statement, the vast majority of Welsh students take qualifications that are shared with the rest of the UK, and are not actually regulated by our own regulator. Therefore, I am not able to order another country's regulator to act in a certain way. But that's why our regulator will continue to work with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken, to ensure fairness in the vocational sectors as well, where we do not have control over our regulator's qualifications.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, ac a gaf ddiolch i Suzy Davies am y cwestiynau yna? A gaf i ddechrau drwy ddweud nad oeddwn i'n bwriadu dirmygu Aelodau'r Siambr hon o gwbl o ran y cyfweliad a roddais i i'r Sunday Times? Mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei lle, fe gynhaliwyd y cyfweliad hwnnw bythefnos yn ôl. Nid wyf i'n deall yn iawn pam wnaeth y Sunday Times oedi cyn cyhoeddi'r cyfweliad, ac fe'i rhoddwyd i'r papur hwnnw mewn ymateb i gyhoeddi dwy gyfres o gynghorion a roddwyd i mi, a'r hyn a roddwyd i'r papur oedd disgrifiad o hynny, oherwydd nid oedden nhw'n deall y gwahaniaeth rhwng y ddwy gyfres o gynghorion. Roedd cyhoeddi'r cyfweliad hwn y tu hwnt i'm rheolaeth i, ond fe allaf i eich sicrhau chi nad oeddwn i'n bwriadu dirmygu Aelodau'r Siambr hon mewn unrhyw ffordd, ac fel yr ydych chi wedi darllen, os ydych chi wedi darllen y stori yn y Sunday Times, roedd yna lawer iawn o ddyfalu, rhywfaint o hynny'n amlwg iawn, o gofio'r tebygrwydd rhwng y ddwy gyfres o gynghorion o ran - [ Anghlywadwy.] - ac roedd y stori'n anghywir o ran y penderfyniad a wneuthum i o ran Lefel A. Felly, rwy'n awyddus i dawelu meddwl y Siambr nad oedd hynny'n golygu unrhyw amharch, ac fe ddysgais innau wers yn hynny o beth. Fe soniodd yr Aelod am y brechlyn, ac rwy'n deall pam, oherwydd mae hon wedi bod yn flwyddyn sobr o ddigalon i bob un ohonom ac felly mae hyd yn oed y llygedyn hwn o oleuni ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd y caiff brechlyn ei gyflwyno yn rhywbeth yr ydym i gyd yn awyddus i ddal ein gafael ynddo o dan yr amgylchiadau. Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n amau ein bod ni i gyd yn ddiolchgar am y doniau anhygoel hynny ledled y byd sydd wedi gweithio mor galed i geisio datblygu'r brechlyn hwnnw, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn rhaid inni bwyllo ychydig bach. Mae llawer i'w wneud eto, ac mae maint y sialens o ran dosbarthu, hyd yn oed os byddwn ni'n cyrraedd y sefyllfa lle gellir dosbarthu brechlyn, yn wirioneddol heriol, ac fe amlinellodd y Prif Weinidog rai o'r rhain yn gynharach. O ran cyflwyno'r brechlyn hwnnw, yn amlwg, rydym ni'n cael ein harwain gan y pwyllgor sy'n rhoi cyngor i Lywodraethau ledled y DU ynghylch defnyddio brechlyn yn briodol, ac mae'n rhy gynnar i ddweud ar hyn o bryd, ond, yn amlwg, fe fydd aelodau'r gymdeithas sy'n agored i niwed, os bydden nhw'n gweithio ym myd addysg neu'r tu allan i fyd addysg, rwy'n siŵr, yn cael blaenoriaeth. Yr hyn yr ydym ni'n edrych arno hefyd yw cyfundrefnau profi eraill ar gyfer cefnogi addysg a helpu i leihau'r tarfu ac mae hynny'n llawer mwy blaenllaw yn ein hystyriaethau ni, oherwydd mae honno'n sefyllfa sy'n llawer mwy tebygol y gallwn ni weithredu yn gynt arni yng Nghymru yn hytrach nag aros am y brechlyn. Roedd Suzy Davies yn dweud bod y penderfyniad heddiw yn amlygu heriau dysgu cyfunol, a'n dull ni o gefnogi dysgwyr sy'n eu cael eu hunain y tu allan i'r ysgol. Rwyf i o'r farn ei bod hi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod y sefyllfa honno'n amrywio, ac rydym yn parhau i weithio gyda'r sector addysg i ddatrys amrywioldeb hynny. Dim ond yr wythnos diwethaf, yn ystod y cyfnod atal byr, rwy'n ymwybodol bod rhai ysgolion wedi cyflwyno eu hamserlen gyfan drwy wersi byw; nid oedd ysgolion eraill mewn sefyllfa i allu gwneud hynny. Ond rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Aelod yn cyfaddef - a phe bai hi wedi gwrando ar y pennaeth a oedd yn siarad ar Radio Wales y bore yma - hyd yn oed pan fo'r dysgu cyfunol hwnnw o'r ansawdd gorau, nid yw hynny'n cymryd lle cael bod mewn ysgol. A'r broblem sy'n fy wynebu i, a'r broblem y mae ein hathrawon a'n myfyrwyr ni'n ei hwynebu, yw na allwn ni warantu faint o amser y byddan nhw'n ei dreulio yng nghwmni eu hathrawon. Rydym eisoes wedi gweld llawer iawn o amrywioldeb. Mae rhai plant, fel y dywedais i, yn ffodus iawn, heb gael eu heffeithio ac maen nhw wedi gallu bod yn yr ysgol drwy'r amser. Mae plant eraill - myfyrwyr y bûm i'n siarad â nhw - wedi colli pedair wythnos eisoes oherwydd gorfod ynysu gan eu bod nhw mewn swigen a oedd wedi bod ag achos cadarnhaol o'r feirws. Felly, nid - . Rwy'n cytuno bod angen inni wneud yn well o ran dysgu cyfunol, ond nid dyna'r rheswm am ysgogi hyn heddiw o reidrwydd. O ran natur yr asesiadau, mae'n bwysig iawn fod yna amrywiaeth o ffyrdd ar gyfer asesu plant. O ran natur a nifer yr asesiadau, y grŵp dylunio a chyflwyno a fydd yn rhoi ystyriaeth i hynny, fel mewn ymateb i argymhelliad adroddiad Louise Casella, gan ddysgu gwersi'r llynedd yn sgil peidio â gwneud unrhyw beth i'r system, ond mewn gwirionedd gan weithio gyda'r system i greu system sydd mor gadarn a chyfartal a theg â phosibl ac sy'n wir ymwybodol o'r pwysau gwaith ar athrawon. Mae yna gydbwysedd i'w ganfod o ran grymuso athrawon yn y broses hon, a chredwch chi fi, maen nhw'n dymuno cael eu grymuso, ac mae llawer ohonyn nhw'n awyddus i ymgymryd â'r gwaith, ond, yn ogystal â hynny, i ystyried y pwysau anhygoel sydd arnyn nhw eisoes wrth gadw'r drysau ar agor, ac mae'r cydbwysedd hwnnw i'w ganfod yn yr hyn y gall aelodau eraill o'r sector addysg ei wneud yng Nghymru i'w cefnogi nhw yn y gwaith hwn. Fe soniodd yr Aelod am yr hyn sy'n digwydd hefyd os bydd grŵp allan o'r ysgol. Wel, fe fydd yr asesiadau a bennir yn allanol ar gael i ysgolion, ond yr ysgolion a fydd yn penderfynu, pan fyddan nhw'n gallu gwneud hynny, pryd y dylid cynnal yr asesiadau hyn, felly mae yna rywfaint o hyblygrwydd yn hyn o beth a ddylai roi ystyriaeth i rai o'r heriau o ran iechyd y cyhoedd y gallwn ni fod yn eu hwynebu. O ran prifysgolion, fe fynegodd y prifysgolion yn eglur iawn i mi beth oedd eu blaenoriaethau nhw. Yn gyntaf, addysg, addysgu a dysgu yw hynny, a sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth a'r cysyniadau allweddol ym meddiant y myfyrwyr i ganiatáu iddyn nhw fod yn llwyddiannus pan fyddan nhw'n cyrraedd y brifysgol. Ac felly roedd gwneud yn fawr o'r amser ar gyfer addysgu a dysgu yn bwysig iawn iddyn nhw; mae'r system hon yn caniatáu inni wneud hynny. Yr elfen bwysig arall oedd bod sicrwydd cydraddoldeb, a bod ein rheoleiddiwr yn fodlon i roi eu henwau nhw wrth y cynigion hyn, a honno, unwaith eto, yw'r system y gwnaethom ni ymgyrraedd ati. O ran cymwysterau galwedigaethol, nid ydym yn yr un sefyllfa o ran cymwysterau galwedigaethol, o ystyried eu natur nhw, sef bod y mwyafrif llethol o fyfyrwyr Cymru, fel y dywedais i yn fy natganiad, yn dilyn cymwysterau sy'n cael eu rhannu â gweddill y DU, ac nad ydyn nhw mewn gwirionedd yn cael eu rheoleiddio gan ein rheoleiddiwr ni ein hunain. Felly, ni allaf i orchymyn rheoleiddiwr mewn gwlad arall i weithredu mewn ffordd arbennig. Ond dyna pam y bydd ein rheoleiddiwr ni'n parhau i weithio gyda'r Swyddfa Rheoleiddio Cymwysterau ac Arholiadau i sicrhau bod y camau priodol yn cael eu cymryd, i sicrhau tegwch yn y sectorau galwedigaethol hefyd, lle nad oes gennym ni reolaeth ar gymwysterau ein rheoleiddiwr ni.