Michelle McIlveen: Students maintain NI’s proud history of academic excellence

Visiting schools yesterday while students were receiving their GCSE results, I was struck by the overwhelming excitement of the young people. They were eager to find out if their hard work had paid off, and it had.

Northern Ireland has a proud history of academic excellence and I am pleased to say that our students have yet again shown themselves to be outstanding. Despite three years of disrupted learning, outcomes this year are extremely positive and remain the highest of any region in the United Kingdom.

90% of entries achieved grades A* to C and 37% were at the highest grades of A* and A. This is higher than the outcomes in 2019 and is all the more incredible when we consider the significant challenges faced by these young people.

The pandemic has had a profound effect on young people. As Education Minister, I had to make difficult decisions around the return to examinations. What was best for young people was always at the heart of those decisions, and it was a real privilege for me to witness just a modicum of the joy felt by tens of thousands of students across Northern Ireland as the outworking of that was realised yesterday.

My Department worked closely with CCEA to ensure that this year’s assessment arrangements were tailored for the unique circumstances in which students prepared for and sat their examinations.

I am delighted that the approach we adopted has been so successful, but the real credit must go to our young people whose hard work, resilience and determination has been nothing short of amazing. In the face of adversity they have really shone and each young person should be proud of what they have achieved.

Northern Ireland’s consistently high outcomes is underpinned by high quality teaching and the difference made by our teachers and support staff in schools across Northern Ireland cannot be underestimated. The dedication and professionalism they have demonstrated is truly commendable and they should rightly be proud of how they have guided, supported and taught their students.

I understand how difficult the last number of years have been for families as they managed disruption and uncertainty in their children’s education. The unwavering support they have provided has been a hugely important factor in their success.

It is important to recognise that not all students will have received the results they were hoping for yesterday. However, there are many options open to them and I would encourage anyone who is unsure of their next steps to seek advice on those opportunities.

The conclusion of this year’s A Level and GCSE examinations marks an important milestone in a return to more normal teaching and assessment arrangements. This is good news for young people, schools and our society.

I recognise fully the need to provide continued support to students completing qualifications in 2023. I have announced a further range of qualification adaptations and support for the 2022/23 academic year. Students taking CCEA GCSE, AS and A Level qualifications will be provided with advance information about their exams. My Department will also invest £2million in a Qualification Support Programme, which will allow schools to invest in revision resources, additional tuition, and revision schemes.

I send my warmest congratulations to all this year’s public examination students and my best wishes for the next stage of their education, training or employment.

• Michelle McIlveen is the Minister of Education