Local students shrug off GCSE changes to deliver solid results

Local pupils delivered “excellent” GCSE results yesterday despite concerns that course changes, tougher exams and a stricter grading system might impact on performance.

Pupils and teachers rose to the challenge of the new system, and a total of 170 grades at level 9 – the highest grade - were attained under the new system.

A pass rate of 99.6% was achieved for the many subjects graded under the 9-1 system, with a 4 - or a C under the old system - being the benchmark that students would need to attain to continue their studies onto A-Level.

This year the Ministry for Education said it will be reporting all grades from 9-1 and A*-G as a pass, as opposed to the previous traditional A*-C benchmark.

“It is important for students, parents, prospective employers and members of the public to recognise that every grade is valuable in the context of the students’ education,” a spokesman for the Ministry said.

The overall pass rate for students in Gibraltar was 98.5% under the new grading systems.

Under the old system, Bayside School would have an overall average of 70.5% and Westside School would have obtained an overall pass rate of 73.7% under the 9-4 system and A*-C system.

The UK average pass rate for GCSE’s this year stood at 66.9%, in comparison to Gibraltar’s average of 72.1%.

The Minister for Education Dr John Cortes said: “The girls and the boys have done really well in the sense that they have undertaken so much work and they have improved on their own expectations.”

“Regardless of how high the grades have been, we have some girls and boys who have achieved grades that may be really good to them and this is about each individual journey through education and then through life.”

“I want to add my own congratulations to all students, teachers, and families, who also suffer the stress of exams.”

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