§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the reasons for the relative success of children living in Northern Ireland in GCSE and A-level exams in comparison with other parts of the Untied Kingdom.
§ Mr. AncramIn Northern Ireland pupils entered for GCSE and A-levels have a good record of success. I believe that the motivation of pupils, parental support and the fact that we have highly professional and dedicated teaching staff are the key elements which have contributed to those high standards.
I have made no assessment of the reasons for differences with other parts of the United Kingdom.