20/08/2009

A-level Students Receive Results

Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their A-level results today, as it has been revealed that a record-breaking number of students have been awarded the top A grades.

More than a quarter of students - 26.7% achieved an A, an increase of 25.9% from last year, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) revealed.

The overall pass rate increased by 0.3% to 97.5%, while more than three quarters of entrants (75.1%) received at least a C grade.

The high pass rate is expected to put further pressure on university places. There has already been a 10% increase this year in the number of applicants to UK universities, with 60,000 more students applying for places.

There are also only expected to be around 22,000 university places available through the 'clearing system' - the process used by those who do not achieve the grades required for their chosen degree course to find an alternative place - this year.

Higher Education Minister David Lammy said: "I want to congratulate the hundreds of thousands of students who have worked hard and got the grades they needed to go to university this year and with more than 370,000 students having their places confirmed, more students than ever before will be heading into higher education."

However, Shadow Universities and Skills Secretary David Willetts said that many A-level students will be prevented from going to university because of Labour's higher education policies.

He said: "The government first reduced the number of university places, then offered only unfunded places and are now threatening to fine universities that over-recruit. They said they wanted half of all young people to go to university by 2010, but now they are blocking progress towards their own target.

"This must not happen again. There needs to be a better system, and that's why we have been constantly calling for a student fees review."

(KMcA/BMcc)

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