English: I would like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this important debate today. As a former teacher, I'm passionate about affording pupils the opportunities to capitalise on their talents and enable them to fulfil their ambitions. Whilst I recognise the progress that has been made, we still have a long path to tread, and we have to have a workable strategy in place to ensure success for Welsh pupils, not only for this generation, but for the generations to follow. Factually, this year's GCSE results are the worst in a decade, and it is noticed that curriculum changes have been further delayed. According to the head of Estyn, we won't see any significant progress until after 2022, and I feel that that's leaving it far too late for the current cohort of pupils. The current generation of pupils are our future, and we must ensure that all the stops are pulled out to give them every chance to succeed in their ambitions. These young people are our future doctors, our nurses, computer programmers, data scientists and business leaders. If we don't equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge, then how are they going to fulfil their dreams and ambitions? Without those skills, our economy will suffer and our health and social care sector will be understaffed, adding more pressure to an already pressurised environment. Education is the foundation of our nation and the success of our economy is dependent on the success of our educational achievements and attainments of future generations. We have become too focused in meeting artificial targets rather than outcomes. Just this week, the Association of School and College Leaders highlighted that target pressures are seeing pupils being removed from school registers so that their grades do not count towards the school's performance measures. This is deplorable, and thankfully the Welsh Government has indicated that this will not be tolerated. However, this is the situation that has been created. Teachers are under immense pressure to meet performance targets despite falling budgets. We need to move away from artificial performance measures and focus on providing an education system that focuses upon the needs of the child. We have to have a curriculum that focuses upon the needs of our nation as well as the child, and above all, we have to ensure that schools have the resources to meet those needs. This year's GCSE results are a wake-up call, but it is also an opportunity to look at things differently, and work on things that have maybe not been as successful as we want. So we've got this golden opportunity here, and as a person who believes strongly in devolution, and as a former teacher, I believe in giving our young people the opportunity. We have it in our hands. Come on, let's all work together and give everyone the opportunity they deserve so that we can all work together for a positive outcome. Thank you.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am gyflwyno'r ddadl bwysig hon heddiw. Fel cyn-athrawes, rwy'n teimlo'n angerddol ynglŷn â rhoi cyfle i ddisgyblion fanteisio ar eu doniau a'u galluogi i gyflawni eu huchelgeisiau. Er fy mod yn cydnabod y cynnydd sydd wedi'i wneud, mae gennym lwybr hir i'w droedio o hyd, a rhaid inni gael strategaeth ymarferol ar waith er mwyn sicrhau llwyddiant i ddisgyblion Cymru, nid yn unig ar gyfer y genhedlaeth hon, ond ar gyfer y cenedlaethau sydd i ddilyn. Mae'n ffaith mai canlyniadau TGAU y flwyddyn hon yw'r rhai gwaethaf ers degawd, ac fe sylwyd bod newidiadau i'r cwricwlwm wedi'u gohirio ymhellach. Yn ôl pennaeth Estyn, ni fyddwn yn gweld unrhyw gynnydd sylweddol tan ar ôl 2022, a theimlaf fod hynny'n ei gadael hi'n rhy hwyr o lawer i'r cohort presennol o ddisgyblion. Y genhedlaeth bresennol o ddisgyblion yw ein dyfodol, a rhaid inni sicrhau bod pob ymdrech yn cael ei gwneud i roi pob cyfle iddynt lwyddo yn eu huchelgeisiau. Y bobl ifanc hyn yw ein meddygon, ein nyrsys, ein rhaglenwyr cyfrifiadurol, ein gwyddonwyr data a'n harweinwyr busnes yn y dyfodol. Os nad ydym yn rhoi'r sgiliau a'r wybodaeth angenrheidiol iddynt, sut y maent yn mynd i wireddu eu breuddwydion a'u huchelgeisiau? Heb y sgiliau hyn, bydd ein heconomi'n dioddef, a bydd ein sector iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn brin o staff, gan ychwanegu mwy o bwysau ar amgylchedd sydd eisoes dan bwysau. Addysg yw carreg sylfaen ein cenedl ac mae llwyddiant ein heconomi yn dibynnu ar lwyddiant ein cyflawniadau addysgol a chyraeddiadau cenedlaethau'r dyfodol. Rydym wedi mynd i ganolbwyntio gormod ar gyrraedd targedau artiffisial yn hytrach na chanlyniadau. Yr wythnos hon, amlygodd y Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau fod pwysau targedau yn arwain at dynnu disgyblion oddi ar gofrestri ysgolion fel nad yw eu graddau'n cyfrif tuag at fesurau perfformiad yr ysgol. Mae hyn yn warthus, a diolch byth mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi nodi na fydd hyn yn cael ei oddef. Fodd bynnag, dyma'r sefyllfa a grëwyd. Mae athrawon dan bwysau aruthrol i gyrraedd targedau perfformiad er gwaethaf cyllidebau sy'n crebachu. Mae angen inni symud oddi wrth fesurau perfformiad artiffisial a chanolbwyntio ar ddarparu system addysg sy'n canolbwyntio ar anghenion y plentyn. Rhaid inni gael cwricwlwm sy'n canolbwyntio ar anghenion ein cenedl yn ogystal â'r plentyn, ac yn anad dim, rhaid inni sicrhau bod gan ysgolion adnoddau i ddiwallu'r anghenion hynny. Mae'r canlyniadau TGAU eleni yn ysgytwad, ond maent hefyd yn gyfle i edrych ar bethau mewn ffordd wahanol, a gweithio ar bethau nad ydynt wedi bod mor llwyddiannus ag y dymunwn iddynt fod, o bosibl. Felly mae gennym gyfle gwych yma, ac fel rhywun sy'n credu'n gryf mewn datganoli, ac fel cyn-athrawes, credaf mewn rhoi cyfle i'n pobl ifanc. Mae hyn yn ein dwylo ni. Dewch, gadewch inni gyd gydweithio a rhoi'r cyfle y maent yn ei haeddu i bawb fel y gallwn oll weithio gyda'n gilydd i sicrhau canlyniad cadarnhaol i bawb. Diolch.