English: Teaching is a very important profession that's worthy of a huge amount of continued professional development, and yet the committee found that there is very little opportunity or take-up of continued training, and a number of speakers today have covered the reasons for that. That has to be a concern that, effectively, it could be possible for someone to enter into the profession aged 23 and be a teacher for 40 years with very little additional training along the way. As our knowledge of best practice improves and education changes alongside a changing society, it is inconceivable that a three or four-year course prior to becoming a teacher will be enough to sustain a lifelong career that serves the teacher or the students well. It's therefore essential that teachers are given time for CPD. The purpose of continued professional development is about raising and maintaining standards of teaching. So, while it is welcome that the Cabinet Secretary has accepted, at least in principle, almost all of the recommendations of the report, it's very disappointing that she's rejected recommendations 19 and 20, which are essentially about defining and clarifying acceptable teaching standards. How can we reassure parents that we have the educational needs of their children at heart when the head of education in Wales refuses the recommendations of the committee to help define what we expect from our teachers? The committee only asked her to consider the idea - an idea that would see a baseline of acceptable standards - but she refused; she refused to even consider it. What worries her so much about the implementation of minimum standards for teachers? There are minimum standards in many professions, and, as the Cabinet Secretary won't stop telling us how important a profession she thinks teaching is, it seems very odd that she's not prepared to introduce official minimum, measurable and verifiable standards so we can be sure that Welsh children are getting a decent education. So, in conclusion, I back the report and the recommendations 100 per cent. I welcome the fact that the Cabinet Secretary accepts, at least in principle, almost all of the recommendations. And I would ask that, rather than just acceptng them in principle, she shows us the determination she claims she has and implements them all as soon as possible. And I urge her to accept recommendations 19 and 20. She clearly thinks the report has merit in every other aspect, but her dismissal of the proposal for tangible minimum standards throughout the career of a teacher is worrying and will do nothing to reassure Welsh parents that she's genuinely concerned about the standards of teaching in Welsh schools. Thank you.
Welsh: Mae addysgu'n broffesiwn pwysig iawn sy'n haeddu llawer iawn o ddatblygiad proffesiynol parhaus, ac eto canfu'r pwyllgor mai ychydig iawn o gyfleoedd hyfforddiant parhaus sydd ar gael ac mai ychydig iawn sy'n manteisio arno, ac mae nifer o siaradwyr heddiw wedi egluro'r rhesymau am hynny. Mae'n rhaid bod hynny'n destun pryder, y gallai fod yn bosibl i rywun, i bob pwrpas, gael swydd fel athro yn 23 oed a bod yn athro am 40 mlynedd gydag ychydig iawn o hyfforddiant ychwanegol dros y cyfnod hwnnw. Wrth i'n gwybodaeth am arferion gorau wella ac wrth i addysg newid ochr yn ochr â chymdeithas newidiol, mae'n annirnadwy y bydd cwrs tair neu bedair blynedd cyn mynd yn athro yn ddigon i gynnal gyrfa gydol oes fuddiol i'r athro a'r myfyrwyr. Felly, mae'n hanfodol fod athrawon yn cael amser ar gyfer datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus. Diben datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus yw codi a chynnal safonau addysgu. Felly, er ein bod yn croesawu'r ffaith bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi derbyn, mewn egwyddor o leiaf, bron bob un o argymhellion yr adroddiad, mae'n siomedig iawn ei bod wedi gwrthod argymhellion 19 a 20, sydd, yn eu hanfod, yn ymwneud â diffinio ac egluro safonau addysgu derbyniol. Sut y gallwn dawelu meddyliau rhieni fod anghenion addysgol eu plant yn ganolog i'n gwaith pan fo'r pennaeth addysg yng Nghymru yn gwrthod argymhellion y pwyllgor i helpu i ddiffinio'r hyn a ddisgwyliwn gan ein hathrawon? Gofyn iddi ystyried y syniad yn unig a wnaeth y pwyllgor - syniad a fyddai'n sicrhau llinell sylfaen o safonau derbyniol - ond fe wrthododd; gwrthododd ei ystyried hyd yn oed. Beth sy'n peri'r fath bryder iddi ynglŷn â gweithredu safonau gofynnol ar gyfer athrawon? Ceir safonau gofynnol mewn llawer o broffesiynau, ac o ystyried nad yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn blino dweud wrthym pa mor bwysig yw'r proffesiwn addysgu yn ei barn hi, mae'n ymddangos yn rhyfedd iawn nad yw'n barod i gyflwyno safonau gofynnol swyddogol mesuradwy y gellir eu gwirio er mwyn inni allu bod yn sicr fod plant Cymru yn cael addysg dda. Felly, i gloi, rwy'n cefnogi'r adroddiad a'r argymhellion gant y cant. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn derbyn, o leiaf mewn egwyddor, bron bob un o'r argymhellion. Ac yn hytrach na'u derbyn mewn egwyddor yn unig, buaswn yn gofyn iddi ddangos y penderfyniad y mae'n honni sydd ganddi a'u gweithredu i gyd cyn gynted â phosibl. Ac rwy'n ei hannog i dderbyn argymhellion 19 a 20. Mae'n amlwg ei bod yn credu bod rhinweddau'n perthyn i'r adroddiad ym mhob ffordd arall, ond mae'r ffaith ei bod yn gwrthod y cynnig i sefydlu safonau gofynnol go iawn drwy gydol gyrfa athro yn peri pryder ac ni fydd yn gwneud dim i dawelu meddyliau rhieni Cymru ei bod hi'n poeni go iawn am safonau addysgu yn ysgolion Cymru. Diolch.