§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will initiate an inquiry into the levels of achievement for Northern Ireland schoolchildren in A-level and general certificate of secondary education results relative to comparable children in England, Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe qualifications of Northern Ireland school leavers compare favourably with those in England and Wales; comparison with Scotland is not appropriate724W because of different examination arrangements. The most recent comparable statistics show 26 per cent. of Northern Ireland leavers with one or more A-levels compared to 18.7 per cent. in England and 17.9 per cent. in Wales. The figures also show that some 16.4 per cent. of Northern Ireland school leavers obtained no recognised qualifications compared to 9.6 per cent. in England and 17.5 per cent. in Wales. However, there has been an encouraging reduction in the number of unqualified leavers in Northern Ireland in recent years and the Government believe that the education reforms will accelerate this trend.