English: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. 'Children have suffered collateral damage during the pandemic.' Those were the words of Dr David Tuthill of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health when he gave evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee recently. As a committee, we recognise that children and young people currently appear to be less susceptible to the virus than adults, but there is no doubt that the wider effects of COVID-19 and the measures taken to manage it have impacted their live hugely: the closure of schools and youth clubs; restrictions on play and on young people socialising; the impact of the virus on family members; and frightening death figures. When Wales entered lockdown, the committee announced our intention to look closely at the impact of COVID-19 and the measures adopted to manage it on children and young people in Wales. We in Wales place a particular emphasis on children's rights and for a very good reason. Children do not vote, children do not have trade unions to speak on their behalf, and children have been largely hidden in this pandemic. On this basis and in light of our belief that managing the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people needs to be a clear priority for the Welsh Government and public bodies, we wanted to make sure that all Members of the Senedd have an opportunity to discuss these issues before the summer recess. Approaching the next phase of managing the pandemic with children's rights at the forefront of our minds is a key priority for us and one we are committed to pursuing. That's why we have scheduled today's debate. We want to make sure that children are not the hidden victims of this public health crisis. Turning now to the committee's approach to scrutiny, we realise that things have necessarily moved quickly to manage this pandemic, and we wanted to make sure that our scrutiny was timely and meaningful, so we've engaged in regular correspondence with Welsh Ministers. I would like to place on record our thanks to all those who've taken the time, often in the most difficult of circumstances, to share their experiences with us. All your views will be published and will inform our work going forward. In particular, I would like to thank the children and young people who've given us their questions, which I've been able to put directly to witnesses in committee. It has enabled us, in a small way, to ensure that children and young people's voices are directly heard in our committee. As Chair, I will focus my contribution on the main themes that we've focused on in recent weeks and I know that other Members will speak in more detail about each. Turning first to education, throughout the pandemic, we've heard regularly from the Minister about her plans for schools. We welcome last week's announcement that, based on scientific advice and subject to a continued decline in community rates of infection, all children will return to school in September. We know that while some pupils have had excellent support for their learning at home from their school's staff and their parents and carers, for many children and families this has been a really difficult time. These difficulties have ranged from challenges with technology and broadband to parents and carers having to constantly juggle work and home lives. The support children have had in their home learning has been too variable, with some children having high-quality face-to-face remote contact with teachers and live lessons, and other children having none at all.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd dros dro. 'Mae plant wedi dioddef niwed cyfochrog yn ystod y pandemig.' Dyna eiriau Dr David Tuthill o'r Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant pan roddodd dystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yn ddiweddar. Fel pwyllgor, rydym ni'n cydnabod ei bod hi'n ymddangos ar hyn o bryd bod plant a phobl ifanc yn llai agored i'r feirws nag oedolion, ond nid oes amheuaeth bod effeithiau ehangach COVID-19 a'r mesurau a gymerwyd i'w reoli wedi effeithio'n sylweddol ar eu bywydau: cau ysgolion a chlybiau ieuenctid; cyfyngiadau ar chwarae ac ar bobl ifanc yn cymdeithasu; effaith y feirws ar aelodau teuluoedd; a ffigurau marwolaethau brawychus. Pan gyflwynwyd y cyfyngiadau symud yng Nghymru, cyhoeddodd y pwyllgor ein bwriad i edrych yn fanwl ar effaith COVID-19 a'r mesurau a fabwysiadwyd i'w reoli ar blant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru. Rydym ni yng Nghymru yn rhoi pwyslais arbennig ar hawliau plant ac am reswm da iawn. Nid yw plant yn pleidleisio, nid oes gan blant undebau llafur i siarad ar eu rhan, ac mae plant wedi cael eu cuddio i raddau helaeth yn y pandemig hwn. Ar y sail hon ac yng ngoleuni ein cred fod angen i reoli effaith COVID-19 ar blant a phobl ifanc fod yn flaenoriaeth eglur i Lywodraeth Cymru a chyrff cyhoeddus, roeddem ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod pob Aelod o'r Senedd yn cael cyfle i drafod y materion hyn cyn toriad yr haf. Mae mynd i'r afael â'r cam nesaf o reoli'r pandemig gyda hawliau plant yn flaenllaw yn ein meddyliau yn flaenoriaeth allweddol i ni ac yn un yr ydym ni wedi ymrwymo i'w dilyn. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi trefnu'r ddadl heddiw. Rydym ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr nad plant yw dioddefwyr cudd yr argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus hwn. Gan droi nawr at ddull craffu'r pwyllgor, rydym ni'n sylweddoli bod pethau o reidrwydd wedi symud yn gyflym i reoli'r pandemig hwn, ac roeddem ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod ein gwaith craffu yn amserol ac yn ystyrlon, felly rydym ni wedi bod yn gohebu yn rheolaidd â Gweinidogion Cymru. Hoffwn gofnodi ein diolch i bawb sydd wedi cymryd yr amser, yn aml o dan yr amgylchiadau anoddaf, i rannu eu profiadau gyda ni. Bydd eich holl safbwyntiau yn cael eu cyhoeddi a byddan nhw'n llywio ein gwaith yn y dyfodol. Yn benodol, hoffwn ddiolch i'r plant a'r bobl ifanc sydd wedi rhoi eu cwestiynau i ni, yr wyf i wedi gallu eu gofyn yn uniongyrchol i dystion yn y pwyllgor. Mae wedi ein galluogi, mewn ffordd fach, i sicrhau bod lleisiau plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu clywed yn uniongyrchol yn ein pwyllgor. Fel Cadeirydd, byddaf yn canolbwyntio fy nghyfraniad ar y prif themâu yr ydym ni wedi canolbwyntio arnyn nhw yn yr wythnosau diwethaf a gwn y bydd Aelodau eraill yn siarad yn fanylach am bob un ohonyn nhw. Gan droi yn gyntaf at addysg, drwy gydol y pandemig, rydym ni wedi clywed yn rheolaidd gan y Gweinidog am ei chynlluniau ar gyfer ysgolion. Rydym ni'n croesawu'r cyhoeddiad yr wythnos diwethaf y bydd pob plentyn yn dychwelyd i'r ysgol ym mis Medi, yn seiliedig ar gyngor gwyddonol ac yn amodol ar ostyngiad parhaus i gyfraddau'r haint yn y gymuned. Er bod rhai disgyblion wedi cael cefnogaeth ragorol i'w dysgu gartref gan staff eu hysgol a'u rhieni a'u gofalwyr, rydym ni'n gwybod bod hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod anodd iawn i lawer o blant a theuluoedd. Mae'r anawsterau hyn wedi amrywio o heriau gyda thechnoleg a band eang i rieni a gofalwyr yn gorfod cydbwyso gwaith a bywyd cartref yn barhaus. Mae'r cymorth y mae plant wedi ei gael gyda'u dysgu gartref wedi bod yn rhy amrywiol hefyd, wrth i rai plant gael cyswllt o bell wyneb yn wyneb o ansawdd uchel gydag athrawon a gwersi byw, a phlant eraill yn cael dim o gwbl.