Wales' GCSE pupils praised for 'tremendous resilience' as almost a third get A or A* grades
Report by Richard Morgan
Wales' GCSE pupils have been praised for their "tremendous resilience" after almost a third received A or A* grades - in a year that saw exams scrapped and schools closed due to the pandemic.
The proportion of students awarded A* or A increased from 25.5% in 2020 to 28.7% this year.
That number has risen by more than 10% in two years, with 18.4% receiving top grades in 2019 - when exams were last sat.
Figures covering overall GCSE entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland show the number of pupils awarded top grades has surged to an all-time high.
The First Minister congratulated pupils and wished them luck in the future.
On Tuesday, nearly half of this year's A-level students in Wales received A or A* grades after what has been described as "an academic year like no other".
But there are concerns that the results - which between Wales, England and Northern Ireland were record-breaking - have caused "grade inflation", a situation in which top marks now have little value.
But England's Education Minister insisted that the results are "meaningful" and a "just reward" for pupils who have studied through the pandemic.
Qualifications Wales said GCSE pupils can also be reassured that this year's qualifications will "carry the same value as qualifications awarded in any other year".
Overall, GCSE performance remained stable with 73.6% of candidates achieving a C grade or above, compared to 73.8% in 2020 and 62.8% in 2019.
The Education Minister congratulated pupils for "overcoming the challenges" of the last 18 months.
Jeremy Miles said: "My message to this year's GCSE students is a huge 'well done'.
"You’ve had everything thrown at you over the last 18 months - periods in lockdown, time away from your friends and families, and times where you've missed out on many of the social activities you should be enjoying.
"You've shown tremendous resilience to overcome all of these challenges."
Mr Miles praised pupils receiving their vocational qualification results, whose skills are "vitally important in meeting the range of needs of the Welsh economy".
He also commended the work of school and college staff.
"It's been an almighty task to put measures in place so that learners could get their results, like any other year.
"You should be very proud of the work you have done to help our learners progress."
This year, GCSE grades have been determined by teachers after exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Qualifications Wales Chief Executive Philip Blaker said: "We would like to thank them for their dedication and hard work in adapting swiftly to the flexible arrangements put in place so that grades are awarded.
"Exams were cancelled due to the pandemic and schools and colleges have been in the best position to make the right decisions for their learners as they understand the local challenges faced."
Teachers union NASUWT said it is "concerning" that the Welsh Government has not yet confirmed mitigations to ensure that next year's exam cohort will be assessed fairly and not disadvantaged.
Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary, said: "It is already clear that, regardless of the trajectory of the pandemic in the coming months, mitigations for the class of 2022 will be needed to address the disruption pupils have experienced.
"Young people and their teachers urgently need the detail of what measures are to be adopted for next year, along with what contingency plans will be in place in the event that exams cannot go ahead as planned, so that they have the best possible opportunity to plan, prepare and achieve their best."
Jeremy Miles has said that next year's exams will take into account disruption caused by Covid, and regulators in Wales are working with UK counterparts to ensure that students in Wales are not disadvantaged next year.