Jubilant A-level students 'told to leave country'
The number of students passing their A-levels rose again this year (courtesy of hammersmithandfulham)
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 20, Aug 2009 05:05
By Richard James.
The A-level pass rate has hit a record high for another year, but ministers are encouraging young people to volunteer abroad amid dire higher education and job prospects.
Students around the country received their results this morning, with official figures showing the pass rate - grade A to E - has risen from 97.2 per cent to 97.5.
Those attaining an A grade also went up by 0.8 per cent, from 25.9 per cent to 26.7 per cent.
Despite the improved results though many analysts warn those finishing school this summer face a tough time in gaining entrance into the university of their choice or finding employment in the midst of the worst recession since the second world war.
Liberal Democrat shadow universities spokesman, Stephen Williams warned those who just miss out on their needed grades face a particularly tough clearing process.
"This will be the toughest year ever for places and it looks like huge numbers of very able young people will be joining the record numbers already unemployed," he said.
"The irony is that while a record number of students are likely to get the top grades, more young people than ever are going to be disappointed as they fail to get a place at university.
"Ministers have made this situation far worse by failing to fund the number of extra places they originally promised.
"This will also make a mockery of the government's plan for 'trading up', as students who do better than expected find there are no places for them at better universities."
Those not planning on attending university this September also face a daunting prospect in trying to find a job in the current employment climate.
Unemployment in the UK currently stands at 2.44 million, with many analysts expecting it to pass three million by next year.
And those students struggling for ideas of what to do after school are in fact being encouraged by the government to consider volunteering abroad.
A government-funded scheme is encouraging students to apply for the Platform2 experience, which involves teenagers being sent to developing countries to work on a range of projects, including building schools and conservation work.
The scheme is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and run by Christian Aid and gap year company BUNAC.
The official statistics released today show the popularity of maths surged during the last year, with 12.2 per cent more pupils taking the subject.
Independent schools also recorded the largest increase in results, with a 2.1 per cent rise in students obtaining A grades, affecting the overall national rise.
Dr Mike Cresswell, of the AQA exam board, said: "Independent schools have been continuing to show a higher increase in results since 2002 when the new A levels were brought in, if you took out that affect, you would get a lesser increase."