Top marks for Glasgow pupils as city enjoys record success in exam results

Aug 9 2012 By Emma Smith

exams

RECORD numbers of city pupils have passed their exams.

The anxious wait for 160,000 youngsters ended this week as Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher results were delivered to homes across the city.

And more secondary pupils than ever before were successful.

The pass rate for Highers went up from 75.2 per cent in 2011 to 76.9 this year. There was also an increase of seven per cent in 10 years.

Advanced Highers successes rose from 79.3 per cent to 80.1.

Standard Grades passes were up by 0.4 per cent to 98.9.

SQA figures revealed the overall number of candidates for all exams fell slightly from 159,755 in 2011 to 158,908 this year.

This year also showed an increase in the number of people taking exams such as mathematics, history, geography and modern studies in Gaelic. There were 110 exams completed in this language.

And there was a double celebration at Fernhill School in Burnside when 17-year-old twins Khloe and Kaitlin Boswell achieved 10 Higher As between them.

Khloe said: “I’m so glad that all our hard work paid off. I couldn’t be happier with my results. Hopefully I can get a few more As under my belt before I leave for university.”

Councillor Stephen Curran, executive member for education, said: “Glasgow’s schools have been
awarded a super report card. We made a commitment last year to raise the attainment and aspirations of our young people and today’s results prove we are achieving this.

“Pupils and teachers should be very proud of themselves as their hard work and determination has paid off and I’m delighted.

“We highlighted five or more Standard Grades at credit level as an area of improvement after last year’s results and this measure has increased by two per cent.

“For the first time, 94 per cent of our S4 young people have passed five or more at level three or better.”

Council leader Gordon Matheson added: “These results are a fantastic reflection of the work being done across the city’s schools.

“Education is one of the council’s priorities and these latest statistics clearly show we are continuing to deliver on that.”