Pupils should be able to make A-level choices not based on stereotypes: minister

Young people should be able to make decisions about what to study at A-level that are not based on stereotypes, an education minister has said amid a gender gap in the uptake of maths.It comes as the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades rose for the third year in a row, likely driven by the popularity of maths and students scoring highly in it.Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their exam results on Thursday, with many finding out if they would progress to university, an apprenticeship or work.Students Ruairi Coyle and Michael Allena celebrate their A-level results at Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock in Belfast (Mark Marlow/PA) Maths remained the most popular subject at A-level this year – the 13th year in a row it has topp