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The last ten days has seen a huge public debate about the appalling behaviour of a tiny minority
of young people in some of our cities. But today it is right to celebrate the success
of hundreds of thousands of students collecting their A level results. This is the true picture
of young people in this country – hard working, diligent and committed to their futures.
And it’s also important to thank teachers in schools and colleges across the country
for their dedication and hard work in preparing their pupils for these very challenging exams.
There’s no question that an A level is a huge personal achievement, so it’s right
to give credit where credit is due. There is welcome news in today’s results
with rising take up in sciences at A level, taking the maths A level and further maths
entries.
And while take up in Chinese is up, there is a worrying and continuing fall in the numbers
taking French and German A levels. And there's a flat lining in Spanish entries.
Language skills are integral to the social and economic future of this country.
The English Baccalaureate at the GCSE level is designed to reverse the falling numbers
studying modern languages by giving a clear incentive to students to study a language
up to the age of 16. And there are two wider points.
Firstly, our job in Government is to make sure the education system equips young people
with the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential and to compete in the
global jobs market. We need to ensure A levels are robust and
to keep pace with businesses’ and universities’ demands and match the qualifications of the
best education systems in the world. That’s why we will put universities and
academic bodies at the heart of developing A levels in the future.
And secondly, it’s a scandalous waste that too many bright and talented children still
miss out on top universities and the best jobs because they don’t have the same opportunities
as their wealthier peers. That’s why we have set out comprehensive
reforms to drive up standards and close the attainment gap between those from rich and
poor backgrounds. With a real focus on improving behaviour and
discipline in schools; with reform to encourage the best graduates into teaching and to raise
the status of the teaching profession and with measures to sweep away the bureaucratic
burdens that have been piled onto schools over the years and to give teachers the professional
autonomy they need. But today is a day to say to a quarter of
a million young people collecting their A level results – congratulations. I hope
you have the results that you worked for and that you need.