Commenting on A-Level, Applied General, T-Level and other VTQ results, Niamh Sweeney, Deputy General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Congratulations to all students getting their results today and to the parents, carers and educators who have supported them.
"Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) like BTECs and Cambridge Technicals are important qualifications which help students progress to employment and further study. The Government should step in to save the future of these tried and tested courses.
"We recommend that Bridget Phillipson provides clarity on her statement about AGQs and pauses the defunding for a further two years, to review the qualifications. Schools and colleges otherwise face uncertainty about the courses they can offer. Many thousands of young people – and disproportionately from low-income families – risk being prevented from accessing education.
“The pressure of exam season is intense and the efforts of every young person should be commended, but the exam system is narrow, overly prescriptive, and in need of urgent reform. The negative effect of legacy policies of the previous Government are now inescapable, not least in the reduced take up of humanities subjects.
"The NEU welcomes the review of curriculum and assessment commissioned by Government. Teachers are ready to contribute their significant expertise to the review in order that assessment methods properly capture all students’ skills, knowledge and abilities."