Ulster Unionist education spokesperson Danny Kinahan MLA has congratulated Northern Ireland’s pupils on attaining record GCSE results, increasing the proportion of A*-C  grade passes to 78%, well above the national UK average of  68.8%

 Mr Kinahan MLA said:

“I congratulate all those who have passed their GCSEs today and who have been rewarded for all their hard work, and I commiserate with those whose results were not perhaps as good as they would have liked.  The academic road is not for everyone and I would encourage young people to continue to develop their skills and increase their employability by exploring the possibilities for further education or apprenticeships.

 “Focusing purely on exam results is perhaps an unfair way to judge our schools because the wider benefits of education in developing vocational and sporting skills are harder to measure.  Nevertheless, at times we can be too self-critical of our education system, and when the official exam results are so good it is important that we thank the efforts of our teachers and school principals.

 At the top level, Northern Ireland pupils continue to excel in GCSEs results.  We produce more A* results, 8.9% compared to the average UK results of 6.7% which include England and Wales.  Overall 99.2% of pupils in Northern Ireland achieve the pass rate (A* to G) compared to the 98.5% UK average, and crucially we outperform the nationwide average of 68.8% attaining A* to C by 9.2% (78%).  We are performing well in the STEM subjects- Science, Technology, English and Mathematics which is very encouraging.

 “These excellent GCSE results are testament to the skill and dedication of the teaching profession in Northern Ireland, and the work ethic of our young people.”