Elaine Edwards

Education and bilingualism are very important to Elaine. She was appointed Head of English at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin early in her career and as a core subject department head she gained a wide variety of experiences, including opportunities to provide training and to mentor ITT students and newly qualified teachers.

With an interest in human rights, Elaine established an Amnesty International group to be run by pupils in Year 12/13 and later advised other schools about how voluntary work for Amnesty International could be recognised within the Welsh Baccalaureate. Her first experiences of dealing with the press were on behalf of Amnesty Internationl in Wales.

Elaine’s interest in trade union work developed after becoming a County Secretary for UCAC and subsequently being chosen as the union’s National President in 2003-04. She was appointed UCAC’s Policy Officer in 2005. As UCAC’s General Secretary since 2008, Elaine is responsible for managing the union from day to day, as well as being involved in discussions with the Welsh Government, UK Government and other parties concerning education and employment issues. Ensuring that members receive the highest quality of service through the medium of Welsh is very important to her.

She is a member of the Education Support Partnership Advisory Board and of the Wales TUC National Council.

In the context of this Summit, Elaine has seen how technological developments offer new and exciting possibilities within the classroom and teaching environment, but she is also aware of the significant challenges that are faced due to the inappropriate use of new technology, and of the need to protect pupils and the education workforce.

Elaine Edwards

Mae addysg a dwyieithrwydd yn bwysig iawn i Elaine. Daeth yn bennaeth adran Saesneg Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin yn gynnar yn ei gyrfa. Fel pennaeth adran craidd cafodd brofiadau eang, gan gynnwys darparu  hyfforddiant i eraill a mentora myfyrwyr Hyfforddiant Cychwynnol Athrawon ac athrawon newydd gymhwyso.

Gyda diddordeb mawr mewn hawliau dynol sefydlodd grŵp Amnest Rhyngwladol i’w rhedeg gan Bl 12/13 yr ysgol a chafodd gyfleoedd i gynghori ysgolion eraill ar sut i ddefnyddio gwaith gwirfoddol i Amnest Rhyngwladol yng nghyd-destun Bagloriaeth Cymru. Cafodd ei phrofiadau cyntaf o ymdrin â’r wasg fel un o lefarwyr swyddogol y mudiad yng Nghymru.

Cafodd flas ar waith undebol fel Ysgrifennydd Sir UCAC ac yna fel Llywydd Cenedlaethol yr undeb yn 2003-04, cyn dechrau  gweithio i UCAC fel Swyddog Polisi yn 2005. Fel Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol UCAC ers 2008, mae’n gyfrifol am reoli’r undeb o ddydd i ddydd yn ogystal â thrafod materion addysg a chyflogaeth gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, Llywodraeth y D.U. a chyrff perthnasol eraill. Mae sicrhau’r safonau uchaf o wasanaeth i aelodau trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn holl bwysig iddi.

Mae’n aelod o Fwrdd Ymgynghorol Partneriaeth Cefnogi Addysg (Education Support Partnership) ac yn aelod o Gyngor Cenedlaethol TUC Cymru.

Yng nghyd-destun yr Uwch- gynhadledd hon, mae’n cydnabod bod datblygiadau technolegol wedi cynnig posibiliadau newydd, cyffrous ar gyfer addysgu; mae, hefyd, yn dod ar draws yr heriau sylweddol sydd yn codi o ran diogelu disgyblion a’r gweithlu addysg oherwydd y defnydd amhriodol o’r dechnoleg newydd.