The latest GCSE results show no change in the overall pass rate.

Overall, 97.9 per cent of students passed their exams, with 57.9 per cent achieving grade C or above. Girls outperformed boys by nine per cent this year, compared to 8.9 per cent last year.

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Gwen Evans, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, told ePolitix.com: "The results reflect a great team effort involving pupils, teachers and parents. It's time to stop carping about how easy examinations have become and start celebrating the candidates' success.

"The next generation of workers are going to be the best qualified ever. Young people have got the message that the jobs worth having are those which need knowledge and skills and they have been prepared to put in more effort than earlier generations of 16 year olds did.

"It's good to see how well girls have performed again; many of them know that in the world of work they may have to be just that bit better than the boys to get the opportunities they deserve."

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the NUT, told ePolitix.com: "May be this is the year that our hard working pupils and teachers can celebrate their success without the usual claims of dumbing down. They are to be congratulated in maintaining the achievements of last year whilst improving the proportion gaining A* and A grades.

"The fact that the gap between boys and girls and has widened again at GCSE needs to be examined. That gap is evident at A level as well and should not simply be ignored by the government. A thorough review to establish the causes and develop means for overcoming them is necessary."

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

A spokesman for PAT told ePolitix.com: "We congratulate both pupils and teachers on their success and hard work. Students are working harder and achieving more, and the critics should give them and their teachers the credit they deserve.

"Schools, pupils, parents and the government need to work more closely together to improve boys' results. Research should be carried out into the gender differences in performance."

Forum Response: NATFHE

Barry Lovejoy, head of colleges at NATFHE, told ePolitix.com: "This week's GCSE results have brought joy to many students passing exams with high grades which enable them to go on to further studies or into employment. Many will choose to go to their local furthereducation college.

"For many others, with fewer passes or passes on lower grades, their school career will be ending and their local college may be the only immediate chance of continuing their education and training. Many students who struggled at school go on to FE colleges and obtainvaluable qualifications which lead to employment, or go on to university. The government wants FE colleges to provide more university entrants.

"However, many school-leavers will this year discover colleges where staff may be leaving and course options are diminishing. Many lecturers are leaving to work in schools, where they are paid an extra £4000 p.a. for the same work.

"Despite promises to close the gap with teachers' pay, college lecturers have been offered a 2.3 per cent increase by college employers, which actually widens the gap, pushing them into further industrial action this autumn.

"FE provides many school leavers with the chance to build on their successes or to grasp a second chance to obtain qualifications. It is an important part of the education provision and must be funded, staffed and equipped adequately. Sadly the government has not yet given FE the attention or resources it needs. This is no way to equip colleges to serve the GCSE students considering their options this week. Thousands may find their talents wasted if this is not resolved. "