Teachers and lecturers yesterday congratulated teenagers over the best ever GCSE results, but warned youth faced a tough future in the face of education cuts and few jobs.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of NASUWT teachers’ union, said: ‘Congratulations to all those students collecting their results in what is another year of fantastic success and achievement.
‘The two per cent pass rate improvement is a result of the tremendous investment in education over the last decade, the commitment of teachers and the application of the students.
‘These are the best ever results but the worst ever outcomes now exist for young people.
‘These fantastic results stand in stark contrast to some of the worst ever employment and training prospects for young people and the reality of rising youth unemployment as a result of the coalition government’s austerity programme.’
She warned: ‘Economic recovery depends on investment in high-level education and skills training.
‘Failure to invest will have a devastating impact on young people from ordinary families and those who are the least privileged in our society.’
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: ‘Overall the GCSE results are again a massive vote of confidence in young people and their teachers.
‘The continuing improvement in results in the sciences, and English and mathematics demonstrates the high quality and effectiveness of comprehensive education.’
The University and College Union (UCU) warned that both a lack of university places and the government’s refusal to expand the number of higher education options in colleges could see students with GCSEs squeezed out of a college place.
The UCU said thousands of students who missed out on a university place this year could turn to further education colleges for an educational place.
Colleges need to be more selective to meet performance targets, which UCU says could force GCSE students out of college and into a competitive job market or onto the dole.
UCU senior further education policy officer, Dan Taubman, said: ‘Schools and colleges are often judged to be a success or failure based on their exam results. This year, that means that our institutions are likely to be more selective because of the sheer number of people seeking a place in education.
‘This is bad news for GCSE students as a domino effect means it is they who are most likely to be pushed out.
‘This is particularly worrying when we consider the number of young people already not in education, employment or training and the current job market.
‘We see little economic or social benefit in forcing more young people onto the dole and believe the government has to look seriously at funding more places in further and higher education as part of the forthcoming spending review.’
National Union of Students (NUS) President Aaron Porter said: ‘The crisis in university places, cuts to funding for education and training, high youth unemployment and little job creation places our young people at risk of becoming a lost generation.’
Young Socialists National Secretary Joshua Ogunleye, told News Line: ‘This system and this government can’t provide a future for young people.
‘It is not just in jobs and education, but also in housing and in welfare.
‘The solution is to organise young people in their masses to join with the working class to bring down this government and go forward to a better future under socialism.
‘Young people are working hard for a future, that’s why they get these good grades.
‘But the only conditions under which youth can develop properly is under socialism.
‘The Young Socialists are planning to organise a march this autumn to organise a leadership amongst young people that will take up the struggle to bring down this government and put an end to capitalism.’
