The Glasgow schoolgirl who spearheaded the SQA exam results protest has said she is "elated" after the Education Secretary announced a dramatic U-turn on this year's downgraded marks. 

The 17-year-old was joined by pupils across Scotland last week as she organised a protest that made calls to the Scottish Government to take urgent action after 124,000 grade recommendations from teachers were rejected. 

She earlier told the Glasgow Times: "We are campaigning for a case of our voices being heard. We're being marked down unfairly because we live in what is described as lower-class areas. 

READ MORE: 'The system has failed us': School pupils protest at George Square calling for urgent action over degraded exam results

Glasgow Times:

"It's not fair on us as pupils and it isn't fair on the teachers at all either. They've been asked to make a judgement and then they're being downgraded from that judgement.

"We're being downgraded based on where we live, it isn't fair that people from affluent areas can do quite bad in their prelims and come out with all A's."

Education Secretary John Swinney announced yesterday afternoon that 75,000 downgraded results would be withdrawn. 

Mr Swinney apologized to every young person who had their result downgraded from the estimate supplied by their teacher.

Speaking with the Daily Record, the St Andrew's High School pupil said: "It just feels really unbelievable.

“We thought we would get some sort of attention but never thought it would get this far.

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Disheartened Glasgow schoolgirl pens letter to education secretary slamming SQA marking scheme

“I thought maybe there would be a different system or a longer process but never believed this would happen.

“I never thought there would be a complete U-turn like this, it just seems completely incredible. I feel elated.”

Erin had previously been degraded in four of her higher exams. She will start her final year at St Andrew's High School with a hopeful outlook to her future. 

The U-turn on degaded results will mean a pass rate of 88.9% at National 5 which is an increase of 10%. A pass rate of 89.2% at Higher, up 14.2% and advanced higher pass rate at 93.1% an increase of 13.7%.