WELSH pupils are celebrating today as GCSE pass-rates are better than those achieved last year and better than those around the rest of the UK.

The total GCSE entry for 2004 in Wales was up by more than 7,000 at 315,418 and the overall pass-rate grades A*-G increased by 0.2 per cent on last year's figure to 97.8 per cent.

This is 0.2 per cent higher than the corresponding statistic for the rest of the UK.

The average proportion of grade A and A* awards around the country was also topped by the Wales figure which showed an increase of 0.5 per cent since 2003, rising to 17.6 per cent, 0.2 per cent higher than the UK figure.

Welsh pupils also had a higher percentage of passes at A*-C grade at 60.7 per cent which was one per cent up on 2003. The UK figure for A*-C passes was 59.2 per cent.

The girls are still ahead of the boys in general terms, achieving better at all grades. The percentage of females achieving grades A* and A is 20.9 per cent compared to 14.2 per cent for males; for grades A*-C the percentage of girls gaining these grades is 64.8 per cent whereas for boys it is 56.5 per cent.

Welsh education minister Jane Davidson said: "We have demonstrated unequivocally that we have more effective schools in Wales by out-performing England despite poorer socio-economic indicators.

"With that in mind Wales is really performing well to outperform England." The success - last year's overall pass rate in Wales was 97.6% - was down to "pupils working a lot harder and the best crop of teachers we have ever had".

Ms Davidson rejected claims that the high pass rate proved the exams were getting easier.

"Show me the evidence they are getting easier and I will deal with it, I am an evidence based minister."

She said the exams were moderated annually to ensure consistency across awarding bodies and that she had expert independent advice in support of the exams.

"I would say stop whinging and keep winning," she said. Shadow education minister Janet Ryder also defended the high pass rate.

"Let's not get into a debate regarding the dumbing down of exams. As adults we should stop trying to play down these results and stop devaluing the hard work of our young people," she said.

"If we're not happy with the system, it's up to us to change it. After all, the students are only performing to a system we've set for them." l Pupils in Caerphilly lifted the county to the area's best ever A*-C pass rate of 57.3 percent, a improvement of 0.1 percent on 2003.

The A*-A grade pass rate increased by 0.2 percent from 2003 to stand at 14 percent. The overall pass rate on A*-G was 97.8 percent, a 0.1 percent drop on last year but in line with the figure for Wales.

Councillor David Hardacre, cabinet member for education and leisure, said: "I wish to congratulate all pupils and their teachers for another excellent set of results."