LONDON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The percentage of junior school students in England achieving expected standards in literacy and numeracy has risen, official results published Tuesday showed.
National results showed that 61 percent of primary school children in England have achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics compared to 53 percent last year.
The latest results are the second to be released following the introduction of a more rigorous curriculum in September 2014 that raised the bar in terms of expectations of young people's mastery of literacy and numeracy, bringing the primary school curriculum in line with the best in the world.
The results published Tuesday by the Department for Education also showed 71 percent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, compared to 66 percent last year.
In mathematics 75 percent of pupils met the expected standard compared to 70 percent last year, while 77 percent of pupils met the expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling, compared to 73 percent last year. In writing, 76 percent of pupils met the expected standard compared to 74 percent last year.
School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: "Today's results show sustained progress in reading, writing and maths and are a testament to the hard work of teachers and pupils across England. Thanks to their commitment and our new knowledge rich curriculum, thousands more children will arrive at secondary school having mastered the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths, giving them the best start in life."
