 Gae ddechrau drwy ddiolch yn fawr iawn i'r staff sy'n gweithio yn enw ysgolion a'n cylege am prifysgolion i am bopeth yma nhw wedi gwneud ac yn parhau i wneud i gadw'n dysgu'r aigiliaud yn saf a i gadw'n wndysgu, ddiolch o gael o'n eich am bopeth i wneud. A cynnydd i ddechrau hefyd ar ddydd Santas Dwynywen, hoffa ni ddim i nawr llongfachiadau mawr i erydd gobaith Cymru sy'n dathlu i gan Llywodraeth hefyd a gobeithio hefyd fi o chyn Llywodraeth nes yn eich amgais i dori record byd hefyd. Na chylyw'n gweithio, ddweud y Prifysgol yng Nghymru yn cael ei wneud i gael o fawr iawn i gael eich ammai yn ymddangos cyflosidol, ac yn ddweud, rwy'n gweithio'n gweithio'n beth pernidol yma i gael i gael ymddangos cyfrifysgolion i'r ddweud. The current context is a graph that shows the case rates among children and young people up to the age of 25. The orange and pink lines represent the 19 to 25 and 17 to 18 age groups respectively. The yellow, blue and dark, blue dotted lines represent 12 to 16, 5 to 11 and under ffives. As you can see, case rates among children and young people remained steady up until the end of the year and there was a sudden rise in cases around the new year and into January as for all ages. As ever we need to be a little cautious with these figures due to the changes to testing at the start of this year. They're based on positive PCR tests only and don't include positive cases from lateral flow tests. Y Llywodraeth Llywodraeth yn ystod yn gweithio yng Nghymru sydd yn cydweithio ffordd ymlaen nhw'n ddweud y ddweud yw'r gweithiau ymlaen nhw'n gweithio'r ddweud yw'r grfforddau. Mae'r gyfrifent, mae ymlaen i chi ddim yn eml yn cael ei bod bod diolch i'r cyfrifent ac yn y bydd. Mae'n gweithio'r cyfrifent ac yn ei wneud o'r gweithio, ac mae'n rhaid i'r ymlaen nhw'n ddweud. Yn 10 febryd, y Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael ei wneud yna'r next three week review, a at that point there will be a week to go more or less before the half term break. On the 10th, if the evidence supports it, we'll be able to confirm that schools should return to making local decisions in line with the COVID framework so that schools have completed that process by the beginning of the new half term. In the meantime, I'm asking that schools work with their local authorities and public health advisers to determine the measures they may need to take based on their local circumstances if, as we all hope, they are able to return to the local risk assessment under the framework. We've always tried to give schools time to plan and I believe that this provides schools with enough time to be able to make the necessary changes if needed. It also allows us, importantly, an opportunity to continue to monitor the data. I know that some special schools in particular have found the ability to stagger, start and finish times helpful and so I'm saying today that I plan to extend that option so that the small number of schools using that flexibility can continue to do so until half term. After half term, I would expect all schools to revert to their normal timetable. Face coverings will remain in schools in accordance with the current guidance for the time being, just as, in fact, they are required in most public places at alert level zero. Vaccination and regular testing remain important parts of the strategy of keeping COVID out of our schools. I encourage all staff and secondary learners to continue to take up the offer of vaccination and regular lateral flow testing and to report all of their results. It's vitally important that anyone with symptoms of COVID don't come to school, instead they should self-isolate and take a test. Good ventilation remains vitally important. I'm pleased that every classroom in Wales should now have a CO2 monitor which helps staff to manage ventilation in classrooms by identifying potential areas with poor ventilation. Where schools face challenges, we've provided over £95 million to support school maintenance such as repairing windows or replacing air filters in air handling units. Yesterday, I received advice from our technical advisory group which emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided further advice on the use of air cleaning devices in specific circumstances. In the majority of cases, simple steps such as improving mechanical systems or installing internal or external vents to help air circulate should be enough. Over the coming days, we will publish this advice which offers guidance to local authorities on the use of the air cleaning devices in the small number of cases where they are needed. Finally, I'll turn to examinations. Qualifications Wales has been consistent in saying that exams will go ahead this year. To repeat, my message to learners for schools and for colleges is that exams and assessments will go ahead unless the public health situation makes it impossible to physically run them, which we do not envisage. All countries across the UK are continuing with exams and to do otherwise in Wales would also risk putting our learners at a disadvantage against learners in other parts of the UK. We are clear that exams and assessments remain the fairest way of assessing learners even in these difficult circumstances. We know that alternative options such as centre-determined grades in fact mean less opportunity for teaching and learning in the classroom and can introduce their own inequities as well. Adaptations to exam content have been put in place to account for the disruption faced over the last two years so that assessments are as fair as possible. Many exams will be shorter and will cover less material to reflect the reduced teaching time many students have experienced. We in Wales have been able to put in place more adaptations than other parts of the UK and these will enable teachers to focus their time on the key areas for learning. The majority of vocational qualifications are regulated by off-call in England and working collaboratively with Qualifications Wales. We are working with colleges to ensure that learners are able to access appropriate adaptations this year. We are also providing £24 million of additional support to focus on the wellbeing, learning and progression of learners sitting their exams and final assessments this year. I encourage all learners in exam years to talk to your schools and colleges about what additional support and flexibility might be available to help you progress with confidence. I'll now take questions from journalists, gan gechwyn gyda Bethan Lewis o BBC Wales. You said face coverings will remain in schools for the time being. Can you clarify whether that means in classrooms too, which was an additional measure you introduced at the end of November? What do you mean by the time being? Is it until half-term as the First Minister indicated or could it be sooner than that? Well, the wearing of face coverings in schools has been an important contribution to being able to ensure that we make sure schools remain safe places to learn and that we limit transmission of COVID in schools. The current guidance requires that all staff and secondary learners wear face coverings not only in communal areas but also in classrooms, and that is the guidance which is being continued. There will be an opportunity to review that, of course, on the 10th of February, but my expectation at the moment is that that would extend until the end of this half-term. And my hope and intention is, subject to the data, that by the beginning of the new half-term, we will be seeing schools operating fully in accordance with the local COVID control frameworks, including in relation to face coverings. So, could you answer that in Welsh as well? Of course. Mae gwysgo a gorchedd ar yr wineb wedi bod yn rhan bwysig o'r astod o fysyres i'r gyda ni i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn parhau i fod yn lefydd diogel a hefyd yn caniatau i'n i gyfangu ar trosglwyddiant COVID. Felly, mae'r cyngor prysenol yn gofyn i staff ac i ddysgu'r mynd ysgolion iwch rath, nid yn unig i wysgol mae gyda'i mewn ardaloedd cymunedol, ond hefyd i'n ei dda ni mewn ystafael ffosbarth pan dwyedd yma'n boseb i gadw arwahan, a'r cyngor hwnnw sydd yn cael ei parhau. Bydd, wrth gwrs, gyda ni gyfle ar y degfed o chwefrodd i edrych eto ar hyn, ond fy nysgwyliad i'w bydd y cyngor hwnnw'n parhau tan ddiwedd y hanertymwr hwn, ac erbyn cychwyn yr hanertymwr nesa bod ysgolion yn gweithredi ar sael y framwaith yn gyson gyda data yn y cyfanser am y hynny'n cynnwys hefyd yn cydestun megydae. Ieithaf, rwy'n cael ei eistedd i fynd yn gweithi'r hynny. Mae'r fydd gweithio yr ysgolion yn gweithio i'r hynny yn y cyfanser, felly mae'n gweithio'r cyfrannu, mae'n gweithio'r cyffordd yma yn y cyfrannu, mae'n gweithio'n gweithio'n gweithio'n gweithio, mae'n gweithio'n gweithio'n gweithio'n gweithio'n gweithredu'n gweithredu. Mae'r dweud yn fwy o'r ddweud hwn. Mae'n arfer o'r ddod ymlaen i'r ddigonol ar gyfer y cyfnodd hwn ymlaen a'r ddweud ar gyfer y llyfr yw meddwl ar gyfer y Llyfr Fygoedd Fygoedd Llyfr, gyda'r ddweud o gwbl cyfnoddolol a'r ddweud gyda'r ddweud ar gyfer y hwn yma, gyda'r ddweud ar gyfer y ddweud a'i ddweud ar gyfer y ddweud y cyfrifwyr, mae'n gilydd ar y dyfodol ar gyfer y maen nhw, a'r cyfrifwyr yn yw'r gilydd fath. Yn y 10, dyma sut ydych chi'n lle'r cyfrifwyr yn y llwyth ar gyfer yr ysgol, ac rwy'n gwneud bod yn cael ei bob wneud eich pethau i'r cyfrifwyr, a'n cyfrifwyr gan yw'r cyfrifwyr, ac mae'n cyfrifwyr yn ffordd ar y bau'r ysgol, oherwydd mae'n gwneud y bydd yn ddech chi'n hwn o'r hoffaeth digonhau, mae enw yw'r olygu'r yn gwybodaeth am gyntaf ar gyfer y yr ysgol erbydd ymhlunig yn gwahanol o'r cael ei gart. Fe ddweud os yw'r ddigonhau ffyrdd yn hefyd byddiant fel gwneud o'r hoffaeth yn colliol, amddwn i'n edrych ar gael'r cyfle, ac mae'n oddio'r ddweud o'r greithion i'r hoffaeth, gallwn i ddatblygu i'r hoffaeth am gweithio, ond rhaid i ddweud Ond we have always also been able to give school the opportunity of advanced warning, and to plan, and so these next two weeks will be important for schools to take that opportunity. We've been very clear from the start that it is a very high priority for us as a government to make sure that learners can continue to be in school learning face-to-face, and by taking that cautious measured approach we have the best chance of making sure that happens. I would just say as well that even at alert level zero face coverings are worn in a number of different settings and so in that context we'll be asking staff and secondary learners to continue wearing them for the time being. Be thwy'n gofyn i bobl i wneud hefyd i'n hysgolio ni, i gymredu bethau'r nos nesaf i gynllunio ar gyfer defnyddio'r framwaith i'n waith eto. Rwy'n gobeithio yn gyswng y daty byddwn i'n mynd sefydlfa'r cyfnod review nesaf, i ddweud wrth ysgolio'n bod yn bosib nawr i gychwyn i wneud hynny, felly bod y cyfar yn ei le ar gyfer cychwyn y timwyr nesaf, mae hynny wrth gwrs yn dibynnu ar y daty. Yn y gorffennol, rydym wedi gweld lag yn y daty ar ôl cyfnod pan mae'r sgolio'n yn ailagor, felly bod hynny yn cynnydd i tro sgluiddion dwi'n herwydd contact cyffredinol yn yndgymdeithas ni fel sydd yn digwydd, ond wrth gan bod ni'n blaelio'r ieithi athysg, mae'n hollbwysig bod ni'n ei popeth gallwn i sicrhau bod yn dysgwblio ni'n gallu bod yn yn ysgolio ni yn cael ei hadysg weineb yn weineb, a wrth cymryd camau sydd yn gymesir ac sydd yn ofalais fel hyn dyna'r ffordd o'r ei sicrhau bod ni'n gallu neud hynny. Ellie Pitt, ITV Wales. Thank you, Minister. Turning to your announcement today on exams, how confident are you that this is the fairest way forward, particularly when it comes to universities comparing students who may have centre-determined grades over the last few years compared to those taking exams this year? Yes, I am confident that this is the fairest way even in the challenging circumstances in which schools have been operating, and I do absolutely recognise that learners across Wales will be anxious about setting exams. This summer we've had a series of exams in November, and we've got a series of exams I think coming to an end today in fact, so I know that learners have been anxious around setting exams perhaps for the first time, but what I would say to to learners and to schools and to parents is that these aren't going to be exams such as they were in the summer of 2019, so we've already announced, our qualifications Wales has announced, that the grading of those examinations will reflect the disruption that's happened in the meantime, where there's non-examined assessments, the results from those will also continue obviously to be relevant. In Wales we've been able to make, because of the way our exams are structured, more adaptations really than other parts of the UK, so some of that is about reduction in content, some of it is about advanced warning of the content to be examined, and some of it is about providing additional resources in relation to those particular exams. What I want to see is that anyone sitting for example GCSEs this summer is able to progress to the next stage of their education journey or whatever they choose, and for those doing A levels this summer I want them to have a level playing field with those sitting exams in other parts of the UK, I don't want them to be disadvantaged, and I think it would also be challenging to say that an entire cohort of students had gone through our school system without the opportunity of sitting an external examination. I know for example that the November series was run successfully, 23.5% of students had A start to A, 61% had A start to C, so I congratulate each one of those students and I wish well every student that's been sitting exams over the course of the last week, but in addition to that just before Christmas I announced a package of further support which will enable students to have personalised advice on the best options for them to be looking at based on their own personal circumstances. I want to make sure that students feel both that there is a fair system and that they feel confident that we want to make sure they get the best outcomes this summer. On mask wearing by putting the onus back on schools and local authorities can you see a situation where some schools might keep face coverings and others don't and are you comfortable with that? Well at the moment based on the guidance I gave before Christmas schools are operating at the very high end of the range of protections available to them in school. We've seen transmission numbers in society at large coming down, but they're still at roughly the sorts of levels that we had before the Omicron wave took off and at that point there were schools in Wales at all points on that framework so some are operating at the low end, some are operating at the very high end and the point is that those flexibilities if you like enable a school to respond to the local circumstances which that school faces so that is if you like the point of the framework and as we move beyond Omicron it's right that we move back to that level of local response and so I would anticipate there being you know at the right moment a range of approaches in schools but they will be making those judgments as they have with advice from their local education authorities and public health colleagues. Thank you very much. Abby Whittock from Wales online. Good afternoon minister. Study after study has shown that children and young people's attainment has suffered during the pandemic. I just wondered how concerned you are about their attainment and what you're going to do to try and help reassure people that their futures haven't been affected by this. Well I am concerned about attainment. Abby you know the the underlying purpose if you like of the you know very significant sums of money over 230 million I think in the last year that we've invested in Wales in the Renew and Reform programme which is our response in schools to COVID that has been weighted towards making sure that we are able that we don't talk about catching up in Wales we talk about supporting learners to you know rekindle some of those skills which perhaps perhaps they've not been able to exercise around well-being self-confidence motivation those gateway skills that enable you to re-engage with education so that's been a very significant focus of that investment and actually the education policy institute has told us that Wales not only has spent more in terms of investment but has done that in the most progressive way of any part of the UK so I'm very proud of that and the point of that is to help enable our learners to re-engage with education and you know I think your question is you know very pertinent we will have to support these learners into the future to make sure they get that level of you know tailored support through their education journey to give them the best possible outcomes that they deserve. Thank you well some of that attainment that students feel they've lost is among exam years a lot of them are very worried that they've lost more face-to-face learning than other people and that the same conditions are in place last year that saw exams cancelled and replaced with assessments last year you said and you just repeated it that your intention is to go ahead with exams that it might actually affect our students here worse if they're you know pitted against people in England and so on who have taken exams are you going to look at a sort of robust appeals process a bit like last year are you going to have different exam results days to allow people to appeal what's what what are your views on on appeals and how they should be allowed and how that process should happen with results days will you be bringing those forward like last year? Running examinations provides fewer you know the the cdg process you know was a new approach obviously and so provided the opportunity to look differently at exam years when you're running an exam series then that flexibility doesn't exist in the system but the grade outcomes for this year's examinations you know is not a turning of the clock back to 2019 so these will be graded in a way which reflects as you said in your question the fact that there's been disruption obviously in our schools and I've talked as well about the changes to the examination itself so for many students the exam will be shorter it'll cover less material for some it's the removal of whole units for others it's about prior warning it depends on the subject each would be treated in its own way depending on what it covers and the point of that is to say to learners and to schools really that these exams are tailored for the circumstances that we are facing and I think in light of that they're the fairest way of assessing our learners Yvan Davies o'r newyddion Roesol oedd nôs yn es a dweitha a ymddygiad y Prif Weinidog? Well um byddwn ni'n y tegu sylwadau prif Weinidog Cymru ar yr adio boromau yn yr hyn dysgrifio'r erys y felfa Yvan mae Gwbwl Amlwg yn credu beth mae'r dystiolaeth yn dangos ac felly o'n credu bod yn Gwbwl Amlwg unigid beth rydyn ni'n credu dylai'r Prif Weinidog yn sain Steffan i wneud. Mae Karen Had wedi dod hefyd i'n arbod yr adroddiad gansu greu yn mynd i gael i oed i trafod yr ymchwiliad gyda'r hefli yn cael ei gynnal. Chym wedi bod hynny'n dderbyn niol? Well chym wedi bod mae'r pethau mae yn digwydd yn sgiliau proses gyfraithiol sydd yn digwydd pan mae'r hefli yn rhan o'r proses mae rhaid sicrhau bod yr elfen honno'n digwydd mewn ffordd sydd yn gyson gydae prosesen o gyson gydae fferdd nhw o waith reddi i sicrhau bod bod yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn digwydd. Felly o'n credu chi bod mae'n rhaid aros i weld beth sy'n digwydd yn sgiliau hynny yn sain Steffan. Next please. Jordan Howell from Global Radio. Thank you Minister. We're the changes to travel restrictions looming. We now know that Wales will also go ahead with those next month. Are you concerned about the potential rising cases with families returning from abroad across the half term and what advice would you give to parents taking their children abroad? Well as you know there are significant changes being introduced from the length of February removing really almost all restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers arriving in the UK. Eligible fully vaccinated passengers will no longer need a pre-departure test before coming back to the UK and it'll be a question of completing a passenger locator form. There are some more requirements in place for unvaccinated travellers. The approach really is one of you know doing this reluctantly I suppose given the significant practical difficulties which are associated with diverging from the arrangements around announced by the UK government. Our approach in Wales has obviously been throughout a cautious approach and we would continue to advise families to think carefully about how they can make sure that they are themselves kept safe to look at all the relevant guidance when they are travelling internationally in relation to travel itself, the requirements and the requirements at the other side of the journey if you like and to continue to conduct themselves wherever they are using the very familiar set of protections that we have here in Wales and to I think take extra precautions whenever they can but to make those judgments you know in a reflective and considered way. Thank you and I'm sure you will have seen the letter a seven-year-old girl sent to Boris Johnson telling him she cancelled her birthday party because it was against COVID rules. Young people in Wales will have also had their parties cancelled. What would you say to them as they see people like the Prime Minister break those rules? What I would say to them is I'm grateful to them as the Welsh Government is in its entirety for the way in which they have observed the rules. You know we have throughout the period of COVID seen in Wales very high levels of support for the approach which we've taken here. People have complied with very very significant infringements on their way of life because they recognise that that is the best way of keeping others safe and that even when it has come at incredibly significant personal inconvenience to them they have followed the rules. They're entitled to expect that from their political leaders as well but my message to them is we continue to thank you for the contribution you make to keeping yourselves and all of us in Wales safe. Annie Smith from CGS News please. Thank you Minister. To cope with staff absences due to positive COVID cases does the Welsh Government have any plans in place to increase supply teacher budgets for schools or support schools with staffing issues in any other ways? Thank you Annie for that. It has been a challenge in schools to make sure that there is sufficient staff cover and we've seen during the last in the autumn term that was a very very acute challenge and it has continued to be a challenge for many schools in this term though I think at a less significant or less challenging rate across the system though obviously you know if you're in a school where that's a challenge it is certainly a challenge. What we've been doing for the you know during the last academic term we continue to do is work with the supply agencies and local education authorities to see what we can do to encourage supply teachers to come back on on to the roles in some parts of Wales that has involved financial incentives actually from the agencies to try and do that and we will continue to work with our partners to see what more can be done. What we've done in Wales which is specific here is that at the start of the last academic term to respond to the impact that Covid had on the induction of newly qualified teachers we provided 400 placements in school, paid placements obviously to enable those teachers to continue on their training journey and that I think has helped provide extra capacity in our schools and we have continued that into this term as well so there will be 400 teachers having their having their placements continued in this academic term as well. In addition to that I would just say that you know quite significant sums of the renewed reform programme have been spent on providing additional capacity to respond to Covid more broadly in our schools equivalent of about 1800 full time posts and so you know we will always look at what more we can do but I think those steps demonstrate the seriousness of intent that we have as a Government to support our schools and support our local education authority partners. Thank you very much. Thank you Annie. Harry Hansen from That's TV South Wales please. Thank you good afternoon Minister. Swansea University Professor Nicola Gray has argued that the return to schools will have a huge impact on pupils' well-being and engagement following two years in and out of lockdowns. How is the Government planning on helping schools tackle this problem? Well you know just to start Harry I think everybody certainly the Welsh Government and everybody in the education sector in Wales is very clear that you know where we want our learners to be is in school in college having the opportunity of that face-to-face contact with their teachers and the lecturers and their peers that's important from an educational point of view but it's also important from a well-being point of view and just as you were indicating your question you know even when we are able to provide as we are in a much better way now a kind of blended learning for those times when it's necessary you know that is no substitute for being in school itself so whenever I speak to teachers they are you know very pleased that we're able to make sure that happens but you know that does bring with it extra challenges to try and help our learners to readjust if you like to being back in school and responding to COVID and also to support our teaching and wider education staff in doing that and so you know that has been very much the focus of our renewal and reform investment we've tailored that investment so it reflects it supports early years it supports post 16 it supports vulnerable and disadvantaged learners and it supports those learners in transition years and those four groups if you like are the ones that we know from a lot of evidence and experience at this point are the ones which have been most acutely affected and who's you know who's well-being needs most support so on the one hand we have that COVID specific set of responses but as you may also know we are rolling out our whole school approach to mental health and well-being and being able to significantly increase the level of investment we'll be making into that so that there's additional support across the school system both for learners and for teachers to make sure their well-being is supported. Thank you for that and kind of following on from that I suppose recent reports have suggested that after two years of spending lessons on which of teams and on Zoom GCSE students will be staring clear of computer centric fields sorry I must apologise for the noise and is this something that can concerns the government? Well I think there is there are a set of challenges in your question there Harry. What we've seen what we've seen in Wales over the course of the last two years is a very very significant increase in the investment that we've been able to make into technology in our schools now some of that has been around providing kit if you like so laptops tablets and so on for learners we've got we continue to have ambitious plans to do even more in relation to that by the way including over the course of the rest of this year but we've also been able to make sure that you know that blended offer that you suggest that you're referring to in your question is able to support our learners you know as people come back into school I can absolutely understand the fatigue of doing that but you know some of the funding we've provided will support learners to have those personal conversations with their tutors to make the best choices for them. Thank you so much. Thank you Harry and finally Tom Magner from Carersworld Live. Thank you very much indeed Minister. Beolws, who are associated with special schools, will welcome your earlier announcement on that subject but can we take a wider view what steps are you taking to help the physical and mental health of young carers and young adult carers in mainstream school? Well Tom the point you make is very important so we have throughout had a focus on making sure that young carers have additional support and so if you were to go on to hub which is our digital network for schools you would find a set of resources there which supports young carers both in their own well-being needs but also supports our teaching and support staff to be able to support our young carers but I think there's a you know I think the sorts of issues we've just been talking about which is around well-being and around confidence building and a sense of being back in a school environment I think in a sense are magnified if you have yourself you know a separate set of responsibilities at home so the tailored way in which our funding support for schools is designed comes also with the ability for schools to have high levels of flexibility for how they use that support so that it can be tailored for the needs of young carers as well as others. Thank you for that. How much do you worry that whatever steps you take in terms of schools that you risk people pupils staff and anyone who works in the schools taking COVID home to vulnerable families? Well the range of measures that we have across society at large are designed to minimise transmission reflecting the risk that we see. The general pattern has been that transmission as between schools and community at large the general pattern has been that the transmission comes from the community into schools rather than the other way around in the sense it reflects the broader picture so for example the start of a new school term as we are still now really you would expect to see an upturn in transmission just because there's more contact across society but you know the measures that we have in place around isolation around testing around the wearing of face coverings are all designed to make sure consistent with the risk in a way that it's proportionate that we minimise that risk of transmission. Thank you. Tom thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr iawn.