Councillors have agreed to investigate the impact of exam changes on Dundee pupils following angry clashes in the city chambers.
Broughty Ferry member Laurie Bidwell told members the replacement of Standard Grades has led to plummeting numbers of pupils taking modern languages and claimed 80 parents contacted him with concerns after the transition to Nationals 4 and 5.
He proposed a motion calling for a review into “the supply and take-up of subject choices” under the new system.
But SNP members reacted angrily to his claims, suggesting he was casting aspersions on Dundee’s largely successful exam results and playing politics.
In remarkable scenes, education convener Stewart Hunter said he was angry Mr Bidwell chose to share his concerns with the press rather than council officers and in the closing throes of the committee, SNP leader Ken Guild demanded Mr Bidwell apologise for articles he “placed” in local media.
Mr Bidwell told the education committee: “I want to make it clear that my observations should in no way be seen as a criticism of the examination results of our pupils nor their teachers in our schools.
“My comments should be seen as issues we should acknowledge and respond to in the current school year.
“What was noticed when the changes to the examinations were first flagged up to pupils, parents and carers was the reduction in 25% of the subjects that our young people could enter in their S4 examinations.
“Whereas an S4 pupil could undertake eight Standard Grade courses, with the new National 4 and 5 examinations only six subject courses could be followed throughout S4.
“This reduction seemed to be at odds with the aims of Curriculum for Excellence promoting a broad, general education.”
Mr Hunter said Mr Bidwell was playing political games with the exam results.
“We should be focusing on what our young people have achieved,” he said. “Dundee’s results are above the national average.
“I would like to think that if there are 80 parents unhappy that it would not be too much to ask for him to raise that issue with the education department.
“Labour are playing political games and that is why I am angry about this.”
The pair eventually agreed to a broad report into the issue in January or February next year.
SNP administration leader Ken Guild then launched a savage verbal assault on Mr Bidwell, demanding he apologise for comments he made over the construction of Barnhill Primary School.
He said: “I want Laurie Bidwell to apologise over the articles he placed suggesting that the Barnhill Primary School would not be finished on time.
“These articles caused considerable anxiety to the staff and parents in Barnhill and I was pleased to see, (when I visited the site myself), that building was completely finished.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Bidwell branded Mr Guild’s “outburst” as “quite extraordinary”, adding: “When I visited the site, early evening on Tuesday 19 August, council staff were still working on the school site putting up fencing on the edge of the playground.
“I congratulate the staff of Tayside Contracts on catching up and finishing the work, albeit just in time.
“Teachers at the school are also to be congratulated on opening the school on time for nursery and primary pupils.”