NORTHERN IRELAND A-level students have again outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales, although the percentage of students achieving A grades in the North is down slightly.
The number of students sitting A levels increased by 4.5 per cent with 31,374 taking the exams.
While more students gained A grades than last year, a rise boosted by the increased entrants, the percentage gaining an A grade fell by 0.9 per cent to 34.5 per cent.
The figures, released by the North’s awarding body, the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), showed that 34.5 per cent gained a grade A as against an overall figure of 26.7 per cent in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Overall 846,977 students sat A-level exams.
The gap at B grade was even higher with 64 per cent of Northern Ireland students achieving that grade compared to an overall figure 52 per cent. Close to 85 per cent of Northern students gained C grades compared to an overall figure of 75 per cent.
Girls also again did better than boys with 36.1 per cent achieving A grades against 32.4 per cent of boys. The gap between girls and boys gaining A grades was 3.7 per cent, up by 1.2 per cent on last year. The overall gap is less at just 2 per cent, with 27.6 per cent of girls winning A grades compared to 25.6 per cent of boys.
The five most popular subjects in descending order in Northern Ireland were biology, maths, English, history and religious studies. The most popular subjects for boys were maths, biology, history, physics and geography. For girls the most popular subjects were biology, English, religious studies, maths and history.
The CCEA’s director of qualifications, Anne Marie Duffy, said it was encouraging to see a rise in entries. “A-level students in Northern Ireland excel year on year and 2009 is no different,” she said.
“We continue to note particularly strong performance in the Stem subjects [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] as well as the languages, with students continuing to opt for more traditional subjects.”
The North’s Sinn Féin Minister for Education Caitríona Ruane visited Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, Co Down, and St Malachy’s High School in Castlewellan, Co Down, as students received their results yesterday morning. Congratulating the students, she said the good results were the culmination of years of hard work and were well deserved.
“The results also demonstrate the commitment, dedication and professionalism of our teachers who have encouraged our young people to strive and reach their full potential,” she added.
“Sadly there are some students who did not get the results they had hoped for but I would tell them to explore as many opportunities as possible. There are still plenty of options open to them and alternative routes for them to take in order to pursue their desired career,” Ms Ruane added.
Ulster Unionist Minister for Employment and Learning Sir Reg Empey, congratulating the students, said “many of our young people have achieved the grades they needed for their chosen pathways”.