English: We do value their skills, their dedication and their professionalism. The contribution of teachers to the well-being of our young people and the well-being of our nation is immense. The amazing work they do to shape young lives and make sure that every single young person has the best start in life, the best opportunity to fulfil their potential, is extraordinary. I will take any opportunity to pay tribute to them for the fantastic work that they do. In relation to the support that we provide for teaching assistants, there have been a number of work streams under way since the statement that I made earlier in the year, and some of those work streams have been led by teaching assistants themselves. For example, in relation to the work under way to look at the standardisation of job roles, which is very varied in different authorities across Wales, the initial stage of that, which is already under way, is being led by teaching assistants looking at job specifications. The next stage then will be working with local government partners. The advice that we've been providing in relation to the deployment of teaching assistants to make sure there is a consistency in approach is also being led by teaching assistants. The professional learning offer that I mentioned earlier, which launches this week, has a specific component for teaching assistants that will enable them to know what their entitlement is, where they can find it, and to give a sense of what the validated resources available to them are. I've also written to governing bodies in Wales recommending the appointment of a governor responsible for teaching assistants specifically, to make sure the voice of teaching assistants is heard in the governing body when decisions are being made across the school. So, in each of those areas, there is significant progress under way. As I mentioned in my answer to Heledd Fychan, there's obviously more to do, but I was keen to make sure that the approach we take to it is one that has teaching assistants at the heart of that work, in partnership with us. The Member made some specific points about what more we can do in relation to those in the latter parts of their career or who may wish to work flexibly. I was pleased to see - it was published last week, I think, or perhaps the week before, at this point - comparative research looking at the approach to retention in different nations in the UK, and I recommend it if she's interested. In two particular areas, as it happens, late-stage career and part-time teaching, actually Wales is doing very, very well in terms of retention of people, of practitioners in that part of their career. So, I'm pleased with that. There's obviously more that we can do, but it does show that with effort and with focus, we can make sure that teachers have those opportunities to make sure they can teach in a way that works for them and that we don't lose, as she was saying, the expertise, the insight and the experience that teachers can bring.
Welsh: Rydym ni yn gwerthfawrogi eu sgiliau, eu hymroddiad a'u proffesiynoldeb. Mae cyfraniad athrawon i lesiant ein pobl ifanc a llesiant ein cenedl yn aruthrol. Mae'r gwaith anhygoel y maen nhw'n ei wneud i lunio bywydau ifanc a sicrhau bod pob un person ifanc yn cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd, y cyfle gorau i gyflawni ei botensial, yn rhyfeddol. Manteisiaf ar unrhyw gyfle i dalu teyrnged iddyn nhw am y gwaith gwych y maen nhw'n ei wneud. O ran y gefnogaeth yr ydym yn ei ddarparu ar gyfer cynorthwywyr addysgu, bu nifer o ffrydiau gwaith ar y gweill ers y datganiad a wnes i yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn, ac mae rhai o'r ffrydiau gwaith hynny wedi'u harwain gan gynorthwywyr addysgu eu hunain. Er enghraifft, mewn cysylltiad â'r gwaith sydd ar y gweill i edrych ar safoni cwmpas swyddi, sy'n amrywiol iawn mewn gwahanol awdurdodau ar draws Cymru, mae cam cychwynnol hynny, sydd eisoes ar y gweill, yn cael ei arwain gan gynorthwywyr addysgu sy'n edrych ar fanylebau swyddi. Y cam nesaf wedyn fydd gweithio gyda phartneriaid llywodraeth leol. Mae'r cyngor yr ydym wedi bod yn ei ddarparu mewn cysylltiad â defnyddio cynorthwywyr addysgu i wneud yn siŵr bod cysondeb yn y dull gweithredu hefyd yn cael ei arwain gan gynorthwywyr addysgu. Mae gan y cynnig dysgu proffesiynol y soniais amdano'n gynharach, sy'n cael ei lansio'r wythnos hon, elfen benodol ar gyfer cynorthwywyr addysgu a fydd yn eu galluogi i wybod beth yw eu hawl, lle gallant ddod o hyd iddo, ac i roi ymdeimlad o beth yw'r adnoddau wedi'u dilysu sydd ar gael iddyn nhw. Rwyf hefyd wedi ysgrifennu at gyrff llywodraethu yng Nghymru yn argymell penodi llywodraethwr sy'n gyfrifol am gynorthwywyr addysgu yn benodol, i sicrhau y clywir llais cynorthwywyr addysgu ar y corff llywodraethu pan wneir penderfyniadau yn yr ysgol. Felly, ym mhob un o'r meysydd hynny, mae cynnydd sylweddol eisoes i'w weld. Fel y soniais yn fy ateb i Heledd Fychan, mae mwy i'w wneud yn amlwg, ond roeddwn i'n awyddus i wneud yn siŵr bod y ffordd yr awn ati yn un lle mae cynorthwywyr addysgu wrth galon y gwaith hwnnw, mewn partneriaeth â ni. Gwnaeth yr Aelod rai sylwadau penodol ynglŷn â beth arall y gallwn ei wneud mewn cysylltiad â'r rhai yn tynnu at ddiwedd eu gyrfa neu a allai fod yn dymuno gweithio'n hyblyg. Roeddwn i'n falch o weld - fe'i cyhoeddwyd yr wythnos diwethaf, rwy'n credu, neu efallai'r wythnos gynt, ar hyn o bryd - ymchwil gymharol sy'n edrych ar ddal gafael ar bobl mewn gwahanol genhedloedd yn y DU, ac rwy'n ei argymell os oes ganddi ddiddordeb. Mewn dau faes penodol, fel mae'n digwydd, cyfnod diwedd gyrfa ac addysgu rhan amser, mewn gwirionedd mae Cymru'n gwneud yn dda iawn, iawn o ran cadw pobl, ymarferwyr yn y rhan honno o'u gyrfa. Felly, rwy'n falch o hynny. Mae'n amlwg bod mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud, ond mae'n dangos, gydag ymdrech a chyda phwyslais, y gallwn ni sicrhau y caiff athrawon y cyfleoedd hynny i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gallu addysgu mewn ffordd sy'n gweithio iddyn nhw ac nad ydym ni'n colli, fel roedd hi'n dweud, yr arbenigedd, y mewnwelediad a'r profiad y gall athrawon eu cynnig.