A TEENAGER who won a place at Oxford after scoring some of the best exam results in Scottish history will become the first member of his family to attend university.
Jack Mcintyre amassed 17 A grades - seven highers, five advanced highers, and five National awards - to earn a berth at the prestigious institution having been self-taught in Advanced Higher statistics and Advanced Higher mathematics of mechanics.
It comes as new figures show a significant drop in the the number of pupils taking Highers in mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Statistics released by Scottish Labour show a seven per cent fall in the popularity of science, technology and maths subjects.
Repeated warnings have been made that Scotland is facing a shortage of pupils leaving school with the required skills in so-called STEM subjects to meet the country's economic needs.
However, Jack Mcintryre, from Lesmahagow, near Lanark, has bucked the trend by sitting his Higher Mathematics exam while still in fourth year and set to begin masters degree in physics.
Boasting one of Scotland's most impressive set of results, the teenager was then forced to navigate a pass a gruelling entrance exam at Oxford followed by a probing interview.
He said: “Oxford was everything I’d imagined and more.
"I know it’s somewhere I think I will fit in and hopefully do well.
"I’m excited but a bit tentative about moving way from Lesmahagow.
"I’ve lived here all my life and it’s such a small community it will be completely different.
"But I’m ready for the challenge.”
He said having scanned the country for physics courses, he told how he set his sights on Oxford.
"The course has exactly the content I’m interested in as it gets very specialised in the final year," he said. "I can’t wait to get started."
New Lesmagahow High School headteacher, Richard McGowan said the fact that Jack's humility when it comes to his academic achievements made him a popular pupil.
He said: “Jack is an outstanding student with a natural gift for learning which he shared with all those around him.
"He was a constant inspiration to his peers who appreciated his willingness to help others.
"His achievements in SQA examinations are extraordinary- there can be few pupils in the country who can claim such a haul of top awards.
"We know his ability and drive will stand him in good stead as he goes forward to Oxford University.”
Around 2,000 fewer pupils sat Higher mathematics in 2016 compared to the previous year - an 11 per cent fall for boys and 10 per cent for girls.
Physics also recorded a drop of around 650 pupils, while more than 700 fewer pupils sat the Higher chemistry exam.
Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Iain Gray said: “STEM subjects are absolutely crucial for a Scottish workforce that can compete for the jobs of the future. We want to see more young people take these courses, not fewer."
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