Commenting on the publication of GCSE results across Wales, Angela Burns AM, Shadow Minister for Education, said:
“The thousands of young people receiving their GCSE results deserve congratulations for their efforts, supported by their parents and dedicated teachers.
“While a rise in the top grades is welcome, concerns remain about the sustained and widening gap between educational performance in Wales and the rest of the UK.
“It is concerning to see a drop in the number of entries for some of the subjects which universities and employers rate most highly such as history, geography and modern foreign languages.
“In an increasingly competitive global economy, we need to ensure young people have the skills Wales needs both to encourage prosperity and to secure their place on a path to a successful and rewarding career.
“In the drive to raise standards, we need to address the widening funding gap by giving money directly to schools so a greater proportion of the education budget is spent on frontline teaching rather than eaten up by administration.”
