Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson, Rosemary Barton MLA, has congratulated the tens of thousands of GCSE students across Northern Ireland as figures show they have once again outperformed peers in England and Wales.
Rosemary Barton said:
“Congratulations to all the many students who have received their results. It has been a long and anxious wait, yet with the once again improved results for many it appears that the months of hard work have paid off.
“Whatever the envelope contained however I would urge the young people to remember that today is a moment to reflect on all their hard work over the past few years, to pat themselves on the back and to look ahead to the future.
“As a former teacher I am well aware that sometimes young people are bitterly disappointed with the GCSE grades they receive. I would urge the pupils who feel like that however to work closely with their teachers and to look at all the options before deciding on the best course to take next.
“As horrible as it may feel for those today, failing an exam doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a person, it just means you’ve failed an exam. Life is full of opportunities, so I congratulate those that have achieved high GCSE grades and offer reassurance to those that may be somewhat disappointed.”
