Borders pupils opened their exam results on Tuesday morning, showing what the council called a “positive” 91 per cent overall pass-rate.
The anxious wait for Border students ended when their Intermediate, Higher, Advanced Higher, and Standard Grade results arrived by mail, text and email. Pass-rates rose slightly in all four exams across Scotland, leading the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to call it “a time for celebration”, while record passes in the final year of the Standard Grades system prompted questions over just how rigorous the exams are.
But political tussles couldn’t diminish the joy of 22,770 Scottish teenagers accepted for a place at university or college in their own country – a 2 per cent increase from last year, according to admissions service UCAS. One local lad whose hard work paid off was Peebles High School’s Ollie Freeman, who got 5 Higher ‘A’ grades in Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry and History.
Cllr Sandy Aitchison, executive member for education, said: “I would like to congratulate pupils across the region for their achievements in their exams and across their coursework. At Higher level, the pass-rate across all nine secondary schools and subject areas varied between 72 and 84 per cent, maintaining a higher than average pass-rate.”
Glenn Rodger, director of education at Scottish Borders Council, added: “This is a great credit to both staff and students in Border schools.” Pupils with concerns about their results can visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/examresults for advice.