English: I'm pleased to be able to take part in this afternoon's debate. Following the summer examination results, there was justifiable praise for Welsh learners, who, under considerable pressure from poor funding settlements and significant reforms, had worked hard to achieve their grades. We've all been there ourselves as learners, the pressure can be overwhelming, and the trepidation and anxiety that come with receiving your examination results can be enormous. In my own constituency, there was a very strong performance at Ysgol y Preseli at A* to A grades, which I'm proud to say is significantly above the national average. However, not all schools in Pembrokeshire delivered improvements, and whilst I understand that improvements have been made at several schools across the county in achieving A* to C grades, Pembrokeshire County Council have made it clear that further work is still required to support Milford Haven School and Haverfordwest high school. Of course, at this stage, the outcomes are still provisional, at school level only and could be subject to change. However, even at this early stage, perhaps in responding to today's debate, the Minister could tell us what immediate interventions the Welsh Government is planning, to work with individual schools to explore ways in which they can improve standards. I'm sure the Minister would agree that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to improving education standards in Wales and the support needed in one school may be very different for another. Therefore, I think it's clear that the Welsh Government could do more to develop a more bespoke approach to working with schools across Wales so that the package of support offered is tailored to the individual school. Of course, there are a whole host of reasons why some of our learners aren't quite reaching their full potential. According to the NASUWT, one of those reasons is because the Welsh Government needs to address the continued funding gap with schools in England and the spiraling workload of teachers and school leaders. We all know that the funding gap faced by schools across Wales means that there is a lack of resources for our education providers, and that, understandably, undermines the ability of schools to secure the best education standards possible. Members will be aware of the Children, Young People and Education Committee's recent inquiry into school funding, which found that the £109 million schools budget gap in 2019-20 will rise to £319 million in 2022-23 and that at least half of all secondary schools in Wales are in deficit. And that figure is rising. Schools across Wales are right to say that there's a real difficulty in maintaining and improving standards against a backdrop of increasing pressure on resources. In giving evidence to that inquiry, the Pembrokeshire Association of Secondary Headteachers made it clear that secondary schools are reducing the number of teaching staff, reducing the breadth of the curriculum offered, partially at key stages 4 and 5. They also said there was a need to increase the number of pupils in classes to enable fewer teachers to deliver to the curriculum. They went on to say that there will be reductions in the amount of time dedicated to leadership and management, which will increase the workload of those members of staff and reduce their capacity to focus on improving school performance. I'm sure the Minister is under no illusion that it's not only Pembrokeshire's secondary schools that have to take these steps, and so it's crucial that the school funding issue is addressed in order to ensure that schools are fully resourced and best equipped to provide for our learners. However, school funding is only one piece of the puzzle, and we know that Wales's 2019 results are set against a backdrop of significant curriculum reform. In January, before the draft curriculum was published, the previous head of Qualifications Wales admitted that the new curriculum could mean an end to GCSEs in the longer term and more reforms in the short term. How, or to what extent, those qualifications will change is still up for discussion, but needless to say that that was met with opposition from some in the education profession. For example, the Association of School and College Leaders have been quite clear that, and I quote, 'it is important to understand that these results come at a time of enormous change in the Welsh education system which has included a huge overhaul of GCSE specifications.' They went on to say that, 'It is vital to get this right so that we are in the best position possible to implement the even more ambitious reforms which are planned to the Welsh curriculum over the next few years.' Moving forward, the Minister has consulted on plans for the new curriculum, and perhaps she'll take the opportunity this afternoon to tell us a bit more about the Welsh Government's plans in this specific area. Dirprwy Lywydd, at the heart of this debate is the desire to see Welsh schools flourish and its learners reach their full potential. As far as my own constituency is concerned, where schools have been given significant support, there has been improvement, and that's to be welcomed. But more can and should be done to ensure standards are improved in schools right across Wales so that our learners finish their education journey equipped with the skills they need to get on in the modern world. So, in closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, I hope the Welsh Government will reflect on some of the concerns raised by the education sector and I urge Members to support our motion.
Welsh: Rwy'n falch o allu cymryd rhan yn y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Yn dilyn canlyniadau arholiadau'r haf, roedd canmoliaeth haeddiannol i ddysgwyr Cymru a oedd wedi gweithio'n galed i gyflawni eu graddau o dan bwysau sylweddol yn sgil setliadau cyllido gwael a diwygiadau pwysig. Mae pawb ohonom wedi bod yno ein hunain fel dysgwyr, gall y pwysau fod yn llethol, a gall yr ofn a'r pryder a ddaw yn sgil cael eich canlyniadau arholiadau fod yn enfawr. Yn fy etholaeth i, gwelwyd perfformiad cryf iawn yn Ysgol y Preseli ar gyfer graddau A* i A, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud ei fod yn sylweddol uwch na'r cyfartaledd cenedlaethol. Fodd bynnag, ni welwyd gwelliannau ym mhob ysgol yn sir Benfro, ac er fy mod yn deall bod gwelliannau wedi'u gwneud mewn sawl ysgol ledled y sir o ran cyflawni graddau A* i C, mae Cyngor Sir Penfro wedi dweud yn glir fod angen gwaith pellach o hyd i gefnogi Ysgol Aberdaugleddau ac ysgol uwchradd Hwlffordd. Wrth gwrs, ar y cam hwn, mae'r canlyniadau'n dal i fod yn rhai dros dro ar lefel ysgol yn unig, a gallent newid. Fodd bynnag, hyd yn oed ar y cam cynnar hwn, wrth ymateb i'r ddadl heddiw, efallai y gallai'r Gweinidog ddweud wrthym pa ymyriadau uniongyrchol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cynllunio, i weithio gydag ysgolion unigol er mwyn archwilio ffyrdd y gallant wella safonau. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno nad oes un dull sy'n addas i bawb o wella safonau addysg yng Nghymru ac efallai y bydd y gefnogaeth sydd ei hangen mewn un ysgol yn wahanol iawn i un arall. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn amlwg y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru wneud mwy i ddatblygu dull mwy pwrpasol o weithio gydag ysgolion ledled Cymru fel bod y pecyn cymorth a gynigir wedi'i deilwra i'r ysgol unigol. Wrth gwrs, ceir llu o resymau pam nad yw rhai o'n dysgwyr yn cyrraedd eu potensial llawn. Yn ôl NASUWT, un o'r rhesymau yw'r angen i Lywodraeth Cymru fynd i'r afael â'r bwlch cyllido parhaus rhyngddynt ag ysgolion yn Lloegr a llwyth gwaith cynyddol athrawon ac arweinwyr ysgolion. Rydym i gyd yn gwybod bod y bwlch cyllido sy'n wynebu ysgolion ledled Cymru yn golygu bod diffyg adnoddau i'n darparwyr addysg ac mae hynny, yn ddealladwy, yn tanseilio gallu ysgolion i sicrhau'r safonau addysg gorau posibl. Bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol o ymchwiliad diweddar y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg i gyllid ysgolion, a ganfu y bydd y bwlch cyllideb ysgolion o £109 miliwn yn 2019-20 yn codi i £319 miliwn yn 2022-23 ac y bydd o leiaf hanner holl ysgolion uwchradd Cymru yn wynebu diffyg. Ac mae'r ffigur hwnnw'n codi. Mae ysgolion ledled Cymru yn iawn i ddweud bod anhawster gwirioneddol i gynnal a gwella safonau yn erbyn cefndir o bwysau cynyddol ar adnoddau. Wrth roi tystiolaeth i'r ymchwiliad hwnnw, nododd Cymdeithas y Prifathrawon Uwchradd yn sir Benfro yn glir fod ysgolion uwchradd yn lleihau nifer y staff addysgu, gan leihau ehangder y cwricwlwm a gynigir, yn rhannol yng nghamau allweddol 4 a 5. Dywedasant hefyd fod angen cynyddu nifer y disgyblion mewn dosbarthiadau er mwyn galluogi llai o athrawon i gyflawni'r cwricwlwm. Aethant ymlaen i ddweud y bydd llai o amser yn cael ei neilltuo ar gyfer arweinyddiaeth a rheolaeth, a fydd yn cynyddu llwyth gwaith yr aelodau staff hynny ac yn lleihau eu capasiti i ganolbwyntio ar wella perfformiad ysgolion. Rwy'n siŵr nad yw'r Gweinidog dan unrhyw gamargraff mai dim ond ysgolion uwchradd sir Benfro sy'n gorfod cymryd y camau hyn, ac felly mae'n hanfodol fod mater cyllido ysgolion yn cael sylw er mwyn sicrhau bod gan ysgolion adnoddau llawn a'r offer gorau i ddarparu ar gyfer ein dysgwyr. Fodd bynnag, dim ond un rhan o'r darlun yw cyllid ysgolion, a gwyddom fod canlyniadau Cymru yn 2019 wedi'u gosod yn erbyn cefndir o ddiwygiadau sylweddol i'r cwricwlwm. Ym mis Ionawr, cyn i'r cwricwlwm drafft gael ei gyhoeddi, cyfaddefodd pennaeth blaenorol Cymwysterau Cymru y gallai'r cwricwlwm newydd olygu diwedd ar TGAU yn y tymor hwy a mwy o ddiwygiadau yn y tymor byr. Mae'n dal i fod angen trafod sut, neu i ba raddau, y bydd y cymwysterau hynny'n newid, ond afraid dweud bod hynny wedi wynebu gwrthwynebiad gan rai yn y proffesiwn addysg. Er enghraifft, mae'r Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau wedi dweud yn glir iawn, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, mae'n bwysig deall bod y canlyniadau hyn yn dod ar adeg o newid enfawr yn system addysg Cymru, sydd wedi cynnwys ailwampio enfawr ar y manylebau TGAU. Aethant ymlaen i ddweud mae'n hanfodol cael hyn yn iawn fel ein bod yn y sefyllfa orau bosibl i weithredu'r diwygiadau hyd yn oed yn fwy uchelgeisiol sydd yn yr arfaeth ar gyfer cwricwlwm Cymru dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf. Gan symud ymlaen, mae'r Gweinidog wedi ymgynghori ar gynlluniau ar gyfer y cwricwlwm newydd, ac efallai y gall fanteisio ar y cyfle y prynhawn yma i ddweud ychydig mwy wrthym am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru yn y maes penodol hwn. Ddirprwy Lywydd, wrth wraidd y ddadl hon y mae'r awydd i weld ysgolion Cymru'n ffynnu a'i dysgwyr yn cyrraedd eu potensial llawn. O ran fy etholaeth fy hun, lle mae ysgolion wedi cael cefnogaeth sylweddol, fe welwyd gwelliant ac mae hynny i'w groesawu. Ond fe ellir ac fe ddylid gwneud mwy i sicrhau bod safonau'n gwella mewn ysgolion ledled Cymru fel bod ein dysgwyr yn gorffen eu taith addysg wedi'u harfogi â'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnynt yn y byd modern. Felly, wrth gloi Ddirprwy Lywydd, gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi ystyriaeth i rai o'r pryderon a godwyd gan y sector addysg ac rwy'n annog yr Aelodau i gefnogi ein cynnig.