Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson, Rosemary Barton MLA, has congratulated students receiving their A-level results today.
Rosemary Barton, a former teacher of over 30 years, said:
“The long summer wait is over for our A-level students, and once again they have done remarkably well.
“I would like to congratulate each and every young person. Exams aren’t easy, spending up to two years preparing for them isn’t easy and the mental strains associated with the stress and pressure of exam time especially are not easy.
“Yet our young people continue to do us proud. These results have been achieved despite the serious budgetary challenges facing schools right across Northern Ireland so this positive outcome is an absolute credit to students, teachers and parents.
“Of course some may be slightly disappointed, but I would urge them to remember that there are many other options to succeed in life rather than just getting the required grades for university. We have an excellent network of further education colleges which offer a range of courses – both academic and vocational – that may be more beneficial and rewarding than a three year university course.
“There are also a number of apprenticeships available across a range of trades and industries. It remains a travesty however that even though businesses across Northern Ireland have been paying an apprenticeship levy for over a year now, because there is no Executive in place to take a decision, not a single young person locally is benefiting from it. Right now it’s nothing more than an unfair tax on business.”
