THE CBI has praised A level students for their achievements but has warned against reopening the debate on exam reform saying it is more worried by the ongoing decline in students taking physics and language A levels.

The announcement comes as a modest rise in A level passes was declared last week with 96.2 per cent of entries achieving a pass, up 0.2 per cent on last year.

As candidates received their results, there was a slightly bigger rise in the proportion of the 783,878 entries awarded grade A, up 0.4 per cent to 22.8 per cent.

Malcolm Hyde, CBI South East regional director, said: "Students and teachers deserve praise for all their hard work and their achievements this year.

"The A level is a vital component of the education system and we must not allow the repetitive debate around grades and pass rates to become yet another referendum on its future.

"The A level brand is recognised and understood by employers as the 'gold standard'.

"The Government is right to stick with it, while seeking to maintain its integrity and finding ways to stretch the brightest students."

Of greater concern to the CBI is the long-term decline in the number of students taking specific A levels.

Analysis of Government figures reveals the number of 16 to 18-year-olds taking A level physics has fallen by more than half and chemistry by a third between 1984 and 2004.

And just one in 25 students study a modern language at A level with few studying those needed by business in the increasingly global economy, such as Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.

Mr Hyde added: "High calibre employees skilled in science and fluent in languages are crucial for businesses to remain competitive and, in turn, for a prosperous South East economy.

"The biggest concern should be ensuring students are encouraged to take A level subjects which will equip them for the modern world of work, rather than fixating on the exact percentage that pass."