English: I'd like to request, Trefnydd, a statement from the education Minister on a number of matters relating to how the system is responding to the current crisis. Firstly, there's a question of school deficits, school debts. Before COVID-19, Carmarthenshire County Council was working very hard with school leaders to bring down school deficits. However, since March 2020, schools and local authorities have been having to provide additional support for pupils, and we would like to ask Welsh Government for assurances around how that funding will be able to continue, and that there will be a sympathetic approach taken to those schools who have not been able to resolve their deficits. I'd like to be able to question the Minister about funding for school refurbishment. Carmarthenshire County Council tell me that they're unable to use twenty-first century schools funding to refurbish buildings, but they are able to build new ones. Obviously, the pandemic has had an effect on the ability to roll out new school buildings, and that's led to some issues, particularly, for example, in Ysgol Dewi Sant in Llanelli, where there's an urgent need for refurbishment and the local authority doesn't feel it has sufficient budgets. And finally, I'd like to be able to ask the Minister about the processes for consulting on school changes during the COVID period. A number of local authorities across the mid and west region are consulting on changes, many of those very positive changes that I'm sure most representatives would wish to support, but it has been put to me, for example, by parents from Ysgol Mynydd y Garreg near Kidwelly, that it's very difficult for communities to respond to proposed changes at a time of COVID, when people can't meet, it's very difficult to campaign, it's very difficult to have the discussions with your local representatives. So, I'd like to be able to ask the Minister whether she feels that, given the new restrictions, we need to review whether or not this is the right time for those consultations to proceed, in order to ensure that all voices can be heard where big changes are to be made that affect communities.
Welsh: Hoffwn i ofyn, Trefnydd, am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg ar nifer o faterion yn ymwneud â sut mae'r system yn ymateb i'r argyfwng presennol. Yn gyntaf, mae'r cwestiwn o ddiffygion mewn ysgolion, dyledion ysgolion. Cyn COVID-19, roedd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yn gweithio'n galed iawn gydag arweinwyr ysgolion i leihau diffygion mewn ysgolion. Fodd bynnag, ers mis Mawrth 2020, mae ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol wedi bod yn gorfod darparu cymorth ychwanegol i ddisgyblion, a hoffem ofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru am sicrwydd ynghylch sut y bydd y cyllid hwnnw'n gallu parhau, a bod cydymdeimlad yn cael ei ddangos tuag at yr ysgolion hynny nad ydynt wedi gallu datrys eu diffygion. Hoffwn i allu holi'r Gweinidog ynghylch cyllid ar gyfer adnewyddu ysgolion. Dywed Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin wrthyf nad ydyn nhw'n gallu defnyddio cyllid ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain i adnewyddu adeiladau, ond gallan nhw adeiladu rhai newydd. Yn amlwg, mae'r pandemig wedi cael effaith ar y gallu i gyflwyno adeiladau ysgol newydd, ac mae hynny wedi arwain at rai materion, yn enwedig, er enghraifft, yn Ysgol Dewi Sant yn Llanelli, lle mae angen dybryd am adnewyddu ac nid yw'r awdurdod lleol yn teimlo bod ganddo ddigon o gyllidebau. Ac yn olaf, hoffwn i allu gofyn i'r Gweinidog am y prosesau ar gyfer ymgynghori ar newidiadau mewn ysgolion yn ystod cyfnod COVID. Mae nifer o awdurdodau lleol ar draws rhanbarthau'r canolbarth a'r gorllewin yn ymgynghori ar newidiadau, a llawer o'r rhain yn newidiadau cadarnhaol iawn yr wyf i'n siŵr y byddai'r rhan fwyaf o gynrychiolwyr eisiau eu cefnogi. Ond mae rhieni o Ysgol Mynydd y Garreg ger Cydweli wedi dweud wrthyf ei bod yn anodd iawn i gymunedau ymateb i newidiadau arfaethedig yn ystod COVID, pan na all pobl gyfarfod. Mae'n anodd iawn ymgyrchu, ac mae'n anodd iawn cael y trafodaethau gyda'ch cynrychiolwyr lleol. Felly, hoffwn i allu gofyn i'r Gweinidog a yw'n teimlo, o ystyried y cyfyngiadau newydd, fod angen inni ni adolygu ai dyma'r adeg iawn i'r ymgynghoriadau hynny fynd rhagddynt ai peidio, er mwyn sicrhau bod modd clywed pob llais lle mae newidiadau mawr i'w gwneud sy'n effeithio ar gymunedau.