English: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. We in UKIP Wales welcome your announcement of £3 million in support of Wales's brightest and most talented pupils. It is important to nurture talent and identify who our brightest pupils are at the earliest possible stage. So, because this needs to be done earlier than at sixth-form level it is a good initiative for the Seren network to embark upon targeting younger learners. Also, I'd like to ask how sustainable you think the £3 million is going to be in achieving your target. How productive is it going to be in the educational system? Do you think also - I think so - that this initiative may not have been necessary if we did have schools that catered for everyone's individual talents and abilities and we did have grammar schools, secondary schools and technical colleges for pupils at quite young ages? I'm pleased that you said about Y Pant School, because Y Pant School was a school that went in between the grammar school and the secondary school many years ago. So, pupils, if they went to a secondary school at the age of 11, they then had an opportunity at 12 where their talent was identified to achieve a place in Y Pant School or go to the grammar school. So, nobody was missed, really. I thought that that was quite a good system and Y Pant School was a very good school to bring on pupils' abilities and strengths because a one-size policy doesn't fit all and we have to recognise that. It's good announcing this extra funding that will be specifically targeted for pupils who are earmarked early to go to a leading university. But what are we doing to support our children who aren't academic in the traditional sense of the word, but who are just as talented? What are we doing to support children who aspire to do an apprenticeship and learn a trade? I'm talking about pre GCSE. Wales's brightest and most talented pupils, as you describe, are not just academic, but are those that work hard at what they're good at, who excel in physical education, art or design. So, talent does not necessarily equate to academic ability. I'd like to know what you are going to be doing for these pupils. One area that may help those who are most academically talented in traditional subjects are sixth term examination papers and special papers. These papers are seen as positives for admission in some subjects in Russell Group universities, such as Cambridge and Warwick. So, Cabinet Secretary, could you outline what improvements the Welsh Government and the Seren network are making to ensure that students receive the very best of preparation if they decide to take such examinations? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rydym ni yn UKIP Cymru yn croesawu eich cyhoeddiad o £3 miliwn i gefnogi disgyblion disgleiriaf a mwyaf talentog Cymru. Mae'n bwysig meithrin talent a nodi pwy yw ein disgyblion disgleiriaf ar y cam cynharaf posibl. Felly, oherwydd bod angen gwneud hyn yn gynharach nag ar lefel y chweched dosbarth, mae'n fenter dda i rwydwaith Seren ddechrau targedu dysgwyr iau. Hefyd, hoffwn i ofyn pa mor gynaliadwy y bydd y £3 miliwn yn eich barn chi i gyrraedd eich targed. Pa mor gynhyrchiol fydd hi yn y system addysgol? Ydych chi hefyd yn credu - rwyf i'n credu - efallai na fyddai'r fenter hon wedi bod yn angenrheidiol pe bai gennym ni ysgolion sy'n darparu ar gyfer doniau a galluoedd unigol pawb, a phe bai gennym ni ysgolion gramadeg, ysgolion uwchradd a cholegau technegol i ddisgyblion ar oedran eithaf ifanc? Rwy'n falch eich bod wedi sôn am Ysgol Y Pant, oherwydd roedd Ysgol Y Pant yn ysgol rhwng yr ysgol ramadeg a'r ysgol uwchradd flynyddoedd lawer yn ôl. Felly, byddai disgyblion, pe baent yn mynd i'r ysgol uwchradd yn 11 oed, yn cael cyfle yn 12 oed pan nodwyd eu talent, i sicrhau lle yn Ysgol Y Pant neu fynd i'r ysgol ramadeg. Felly, ni chafodd neb eu colli, mewn gwirionedd. Roeddwn i'n meddwl bod honno'n system eithaf da ac roedd Ysgol Y Pant yn ysgol dda iawn i ddatblygu cryfderau a galluoedd y disgyblion, oherwydd nid yw polisi un dull i bawb yn gweithio ac mae'n rhaid inni gydnabod hynny. Mae'n dda cyhoeddi'r arian ychwanegol hwn a fydd wedi'i dargedu'n benodol ar gyfer disgyblion sydd wedi'u clustnodi'n gynnar i fynd i brifysgol arweiniol. Ond beth ydym ni'n ei wneud i gefnogi ein plant nad ydynt yn academaidd yn yr ystyr draddodiadol, ond sydd yr un mor ddawnus? Beth ydym ni'n ei wneud i gefnogi plant sydd ag uchelgais i wneud prentisiaeth a dysgu crefft? Rwy'n sôn am blant cyn TGAU. Nid yw disgyblion disgleiriaf a mwyaf dawnus Cymru, fel yr ydych chi'n eu disgrifio, yn rhai academaidd yn unig, nhw yw'r rhai sy'n gweithio'n galed ar yr hyn maen nhw'n dda yn ei wneud, sy'n rhagori mewn addysg gorfforol, celf neu ddylunio. Felly, nid yw talent o reidrwydd yn cyfateb i allu academaidd. Hoffwn i wybod beth yr ydych chi'n bwriadu ei wneud ar gyfer y disgyblion hyn. Un maes a all helpu'r rhai mwyaf dawnus yn academaidd mewn pynciau traddodiadol yw papurau arholiad chweched tymor a phapurau arbennig. Ystyrir y papurau hyn yn bethau cadarnhaol ar gyfer cael eich derbyn mewn rhai pynciau ym mhrifysgolion Grŵp Russell, fel Caergrawnt a Warwick. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a wnewch chi amlinellu pa welliannau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru a'r rhwydwaith Seren yn eu gwneud i sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yn cael eu paratoi yn y ffordd orau os byddan nhw'n penderfynu sefyll arholiadau o'r fath? Diolch.