STUDENTS across the region were celebrating their A-level and AS-level results today, as national figures showed girls are continuing to do better than boys.

The national figures showed that girls got 1.9 per cent more A-level passes than boys, and in the new AS-level exams they got 4.2 per cent more passes.

Some commentators today put the difference down to an increase in coursework.

Nick Seaton, chairman of the York-based Campaign for Real Education, said: "A lot of it is to do with the feminisation of the curriculum.

"The trend towards course work and modular exams certainly helps girls. In general terms girls are more diligent and conscientious then boys."

Ruth Lea, head of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: "I'm very straightforward about this. I think exams are getting more girly. Girls are more conscientious than boys at doing coursework."

A National Union of Teachers spokeswoman said there had once been an attitude that girls "do domestic science".

"That attitude has been dealt with, there's a need to get the balance right between boys and girls and develop them equally, so now they are not neglected whether they are male or female.

But she added: "You have to remember teachers only have their pupils for around 26 hours a week, the rest of the time society and their friends have them."The overall A-level pass rate at grades A to E was up again, to 89.8 per cent.

St Peter's School in York is traditionally one of the earliest schools to give out its results, and students there were among the first in the Evening Press region to begin their celebrations today.

Sixteen pupils at the independent school gained straight As at A-level and in a year group of 97 pupils, there was a pass rate of 98 per cent. All of the pupils taking art, music, further maths and German got As.

Results for schools across the regionwill be printed in tomorrow's Evening Press.

The 16 successful pupils at St Peter's were: Claire Dalton, Alexander Drysdale, Steven Hancock, Antonia Hazlerigg, Louise Horsley, Simon Jackson, Louisa Kiddle, Matthew Maitland, Richard Pike, Andrew Roberts, Nicholas Rusling, Trevor Smith, Mark Spilman, Peter Start, Catherine Stefanini, Thomas Sutherland.

Updated: 10:40 Thursday, August 16, 2001