The 2014 graduates of the Island’s public schools have risen in numbers: up ten from last year’s 217, with 216 for the previous year and 210 in 2011.

At 88 per cent from those who began at S1, it is the same rate as last year — but an improvement on 2012’s 85 per cent, and a marked improvement 2011’s 81 per cent.

Although the latest graduates are the first to leave the system holding the Bermuda School Diploma, or BSD, versus the BSC, the Bermuda School Certificate, the figures reflect a continuing problem.

Male students continue to lag, and significantly: of the 227, graduates 77 were male — versus 150 female graduates. The discrepancy is wider than last year’s numbers, in which, out of the 217 students who graduated, 94 were male and 123 female.

Grades in the IGCSE show improvements in English, but small drops in maths and science results: 44.7 per cent of students scored a C or higher in English, versus 15.5 per cent in maths and 17.2 per cent in science.

The first two subjects showed a marked rise overall on the grades of two years ago, when 38.2 per cent got a C or above in English and 8.4 per cent in maths. Science fell from 24.8 per cent at C or above in 2012.

Overall, 97.8 per cent of students got a grade of A through G in English; 76.9 per cent scored A through G in maths, and 88.8 per cent came away with A through G grades in science IGCSE.

The IGCSE exams run on an eight-mark scale from the A* to G — after which is a U grade, signifying an ungraded examination. Asked why Government lists the A through G grades as a pass, Education Minister Grant Gibbons pointed out that while students are rankled A through C when it comes to higher education, “we are in a comprehensive system — not all out students are going to go to higher education”.

“What we have seen today is we are making progress,” Dr Gibbons added.

He stressed that the Island’s public school system remains in a state of change since the Cambridge curriculum was brought in three years ago.

With the IGCSE, 30 per cent of students overall achieved A through C grades. The figures break down to 13 A* grades, 43 A grades, 111 B grades and 264 C grades.

It was an improvement on last year’s marks in the core subjects of English and science, he added, and the number of students receiving IGCSE grades in general has risen, to 1,293 — up from 1,090 in 2013, and 1,016 in 2012.

Dr Gibbons said there were promising results in the Cambridge Checkpoint exams, which give a snapshot of middle school and primary school performance. At the middle school level “significant improvement is required in English and mathematics”, Dr Gibbons noted.

The Ministry has already targeted middle schools for improvements.

Primary students have shown promising results, reflecting “a commendable performance by both teachers and students” — although a greater emphasis was needed on maths.

“Moving forward, the Ministry has committed to the implementation of a system-wide National Mathematics Strategy that has been designed to provide a strategic three-year plan to improve the mathematics outcomes of our public school students by the year 2017,” Dr Gibbons said.

On the lower performance of male students, Dr Gibbons said both the challenge and the concern were recognised.

Referring to the 2009 study of race, education and earnings on the Island by Professor Ronald Mincy, the Minister said it was “not a new challenge, if you go back to Dr Mincy”.

“I’m certainly pleased with the female performance. We just have to get some of my gender doing a better job. We can’t afford to lose any students.”