Liverpool pupils beat national GCSE average for first time

Aug 21 2008 by Ben Turner

LIVERPOOL pupils have beaten the national average at GCSE for the first time.

Education chiefs said the results marked a "monumental" day for the city.

Provisional results show that this year 67.7% of Liverpool GCSE students achieved five A* to C.

It puts them above their national counterparts for the first time with the UK average standing at 65.7% .

Today's results mark a massive turnaround with Liverpool’s five A* to C pass rate standing at just 36% in 2000.

Liverpool council’s executive member for education, Cllr Keith Turner said the upturn was down to hard work and investment in education.