English: I would like to start with a big thank you to all higher and further education staff and, of course, pupils for their efforts during this catastrophic pandemic, in particular in north Wales. Despite all these difficulties, I have been rather interested to see scientists at Bangor University work with Dŵr Cymru and United Utilities to monitor the background levels of coronavirus in waste water; students like Caitlin Garrett of Coleg Llandrillo continue to look to the future and to practice and develop her skills at home; Busnes@LlandrilloMenai announce that its 50 plus professional training programmes would now be subsidised, up to 100 per cent of the training cost until 31 August 2021. Through the most challenging of circumstances, students have continued to study and colleges have continued to be creative. That has to give us some hope for the future. However, it is true that COVID-19 has hit this sector hard. A recent survey from the NUS showed that more than a quarter of university students were unable to access online learning, more than a third did not consider the online provision to be good, and that 15 per cent of students do not have the necessary equipment to access online learning. I regard this as extremely serious and would like some assurances from the Minister today that she is co-operating, that she is interacting with the universities to ensure that steps are in place to enable every student to access online learning if it is required. The need for such action is supported by ColegauCymru, who commented that there continues to be significant shortfalls for the provision of ICT equipment, software and connectivity, and with it comes the risk of increasing the digital divide. So, Minister, would you clarify what measures are you taking to ensure that the £3.2 million provided for digital equipment such as laptops for FE students has actually been effectively used? Now, undoubtedly, I do welcome the fact that the Welsh Government have allocated additional financial resources. However, concerns continue to be raised, again by ColegauCymru, who have stated that the additional funding agreed to date is not sufficient to secure the futureproofing of the FE sector as well as being able to plan for a potential second lockdown. They raise a very valid point: what lessons have been learned from the first wave that will benefit our students and educational professionals should we face these further impending lockdown measures? Given my belief that education should be fairly funded, students must have value for money in return for the investment that they're making. The pandemic has highlighted fee inequalities, so there needs to be fairness across the sector. How can it be right that whilst there is an honours degree online course at the Open University for around £2,000 a year, some students will be paying £9,000 for primarily online learning? Welsh Government should work with universities, perhaps, to provide students with a partial refund of some of their fees. Now, this would be a positive boost for the 78 per cent of students in Wales worried about their finances because of coronavirus. However, even I appreciate this is not straightforward. A reduction in fees would result in a reduced income. In fact, tuition fees account for £892 million. That's 54.7 per cent of universities' income in Wales. Similarly, Welsh universities have already suffered very significant income losses in respect of accommodation, conferences and events activity. Nonetheless, there must be fairness, and consideration given not only by the Welsh Government as to how fees could be sustainably reduced, but colleges and universities to reviewing remuneration of chancellors and utilising reserves. Bangor University holds unrestricted reserves totalling 144 per cent of their income. So, there has to be some innovation and some radical thinking here. Any change has to be introduced carefully, because it is a fact that Welsh universities generate a knock-on impact of over £5 billion for the Welsh economy and they support almost 50,000 jobs in Wales. This cannot be threatened, which brings me to my final point: the future of the arts cannot be threatened either. Now, the Minister has admitted concern about some music activities within schools. This could have an effect on students pursuing these creative courses. As such, I support calls to address concerns in relation to a narrowing of the syllabus of some courses, which will then contribute towards allowing a better entry requirement for colleges and universities. Thank you.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch yn fawr i'r holl staff addysg uwch ac addysg bellach ac wrth gwrs, i'r disgyblion am eu hymdrechion yn ystod y pandemig trychinebus hwn, yn enwedig yng ngogledd Cymru. Er gwaethaf yr holl anawsterau hyn, roedd yn ddiddorol gweld gwyddonwyr ym Mhrifysgol Bangor yn gweithio gyda Dŵr Cymru ac United Utilities i fonitro lefelau cefndirol o'r coronafeirws mewn dŵr gwastraff; mae myfyrwyr fel Caitlin Garrett o Goleg Llandrillo yn parhau i edrych tua'r dyfodol ac i ymarfer a datblygu ei sgiliau gartref; mae Busnes@LlandrilloMenai yn cyhoeddi y byddai ei 50 a mwy o raglenni hyfforddi proffesiynol bellach yn gymorthdaledig, hyd at 100 y cant o'r gost hyfforddi tan 31 Awst 2021. Drwy'r amgylchiadau mwyaf heriol, mae myfyrwyr wedi parhau i astudio ac mae colegau wedi parhau i fod yn greadigol. Rhaid bod hynny'n rhoi rhywfaint o obaith i ni ar gyfer y dyfodol. Fodd bynnag, mae'n wir fod COVID-19 wedi taro'r sector hwn yn galed. Dangosodd arolwg diweddar gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr fod dros chwarter y myfyrwyr prifysgol yn methu manteisio ar ddysgu ar-lein, fod dros draean o'r farn nad oedd y ddarpariaeth ar-lein yn dda, a bod 15 y cant o fyfyrwyr heb yr offer angenrheidiol i allu manteisio ar ddysgu ar-lein. Credaf fod hyn yn ddifrifol dros ben a hoffwn gael sicrwydd gan y Gweinidog heddiw ei bod yn cydweithio, ei bod yn rhyngweithio â'r prifysgolion i sicrhau bod camau ar waith i alluogi pob myfyriwr i ddysgu ar-lein os oes angen. Cefnogir yr angen am weithredu o'r fath gan ColegauCymru, a ddywedodd fod diffygion sylweddol o hyd yn y ddarpariaeth o offer TGCh, meddalwedd a chysylltedd, a chyda hynny, daw'r risg o gynyddu'r gagendor digidol. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi egluro pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod y £3.2 miliwn a ddarperir ar gyfer offer digidol megis gliniaduron i fyfyrwyr addysg bellach wedi cael ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol? Nawr, yn ddi-os, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu adnoddau ariannol ychwanegol. Fodd bynnag, mae ColegauCymru yn parhau i fynegi pryderon nad yw'r arian ychwanegol y cytunwyd arno hyd yma yn ddigon i sicrhau bod y sector addysg bellach yn cael ei ddiogelu ar gyfer y dyfodol yn ogystal â sicrhau ei fod yn gallu cynllunio ar gyfer ail gyfnod posibl o gyfyngiadau symud. Maent yn nodi pwynt dilys iawn: pa wersi a ddysgwyd o'r don gyntaf a fydd o fantais i'n myfyrwyr a'n haddysgwyr proffesiynol pe baem yn wynebu'r cyfyngiadau symud pellach a allai ddigwydd? O gofio fy mod yn credu y dylai addysg gael ei hariannu'n deg, rhaid i fyfyrwyr gael gwerth am arian yn gyfnewid am y buddsoddiad y maent yn ei wneud. Mae'r pandemig wedi tynnu sylw at anghydraddoldeb mewn perthynas â ffioedd, felly mae angen tegwch ar draws y sector. Ceir cwrs gradd er anrhydedd ar-lein yn y Brifysgol Agored am oddeutu £2,000 y flwyddyn, felly sut y gall fod yn iawn fod rhai myfyrwyr yn talu £9,000 am ddysgu ar-lein yn bennaf? Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru weithio gyda phrifysgolion, efallai, i roi ad-daliad rhannol o rai o'u ffioedd i fyfyrwyr. Nawr, byddai hyn yn hwb cadarnhaol i'r 78 y cant o fyfyrwyr yng Nghymru sy'n poeni am eu harian oherwydd coronafeirws. Fodd bynnag, rwyf fi hyd yn oed yn sylweddoli nad yw hyn yn syml. Byddai gostwng y ffioedd yn arwain at lai o incwm. Yn wir, mae ffioedd dysgu'n creu cyfanswm o £892 miliwn. Dyna 54.7 y cant o incwm prifysgolion yng Nghymru. Yn yr un modd, mae prifysgolion Cymru eisoes wedi dioddef colledion incwm sylweddol iawn mewn perthynas â gweithgarwch llety, cynadleddau a digwyddiadau. Serch hynny, rhaid cael tegwch, a dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried sut y gellid lleihau ffioedd yn gynaliadwy, a dylai colegau a phrifysgolion adolygu cyflogau cangellorion a'r defnydd o gronfeydd wrth gefn. Mae gan Brifysgol Bangor gronfeydd wrth gefn anghyfyngedig sy'n gyfanswm o 144 y cant o'u hincwm. Felly, rhaid cael peth arloesedd a meddwl radicalaidd yma. Rhaid cyflwyno unrhyw newid yn ofalus, oherwydd mae'n ffaith bod prifysgolion Cymru'n cael effaith ganlyniadol gwerth dros £5 biliwn ar economi Cymru ac maent yn cynnal bron i 50,000 o swyddi yng Nghymru. Ni ellir bygwth hyn, sy'n dod â mi at fy mhwynt olaf: ni ellir bygwth dyfodol y celfyddydau ychwaith. Nawr, mae'r Gweinidog wedi cyfaddef pryder am rai gweithgareddau cerddoriaeth mewn ysgolion. Gallai hyn effeithio ar fyfyrwyr sy'n astudio'r cyrsiau creadigol hyn. Fel y cyfryw, rwy'n cefnogi galwadau i fynd i'r afael â phryderon ynglŷn â lleihau maes llafur rhai cyrsiau, a fydd wedyn yn cyfrannu at ganiatáu gwell gofynion mynediad i golegau a phrifysgolion. Diolch.