14th August 2008
A new record has been set for the number of A-Level passes.
The Joint Council for Qualifications reported a record 827,737 passes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - a 97.2% pass rate, up from 96.9% in 2007. It is the 26th year in a row that the rate has increased.
Entries receiving the top grade also climbed to 25.9%, up from 25.3%.
There were big increases in those studying maths (7.5%) and further maths (15.5%), while the sciences and many languages also showed steady increases.
David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that the future health of the British economy rests on pupils studying traditional subjects.
"We are pleased to see an increase in students taking science, languages and mathematics," he said.
"It's essential that care and attention is given to the development and encouragement of these specific skills, as we remain far behind our major economic rivals in these areas.
"The future competitiveness of Britain's economy rests on the availability of such skills in the workforce."
Attainment remains varied across the different areas of the country, with pupils in the South East of England awarded the highest rate (29.1%) of A-grade passes.
Pupils starting A-Levels in September will be eligible to receive a new A* grade, introduced to address criticism that increasing numbers of A-grades had made it harder to single out the brightest students.
New record for A-Level passes
The Joint Council for Qualifications reported a record 827,737 passes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - a 97.2% pass rate, up from 96.9% in 2007. It is the 26th year in a row that the rate has increased.
Entries receiving the top grade also climbed to 25.9%, up from 25.3%.
There were big increases in those studying maths (7.5%) and further maths (15.5%), while the sciences and many languages also showed steady increases.
David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that the future health of the British economy rests on pupils studying traditional subjects.
"We are pleased to see an increase in students taking science, languages and mathematics," he said.
"It's essential that care and attention is given to the development and encouragement of these specific skills, as we remain far behind our major economic rivals in these areas.
"The future competitiveness of Britain's economy rests on the availability of such skills in the workforce."
Attainment remains varied across the different areas of the country, with pupils in the South East of England awarded the highest rate (29.1%) of A-grade passes.
Pupils starting A-Levels in September will be eligible to receive a new A* grade, introduced to address criticism that increasing numbers of A-grades had made it harder to single out the brightest students.
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