Numeracy and literacy standards appear to be on the rise in Dundee schools, according to new figures.
A Scottish Government benchmarking report shows a performance increase in secondary education.
The city’s education committee heard that 78.9% of pupils achieve SCQF Level 4 in numeracy and literacy. This is five percentage points higher than last year, when 73.7% of pupils attained a similar level.
Labour’s education spokesman for Dundee, Councillor Laurie Bidwell, said: “At first glance it seems positive, but this is not a like-for-like comparison.
“The pupils’ pass rates in 2014 were for an internally marked new National 4 Assessment, whereas the 2013 results were for Standard Grade examinations at General Level.
“I think it’s too early to know whether these two qualifications are really equivalent.
“When we look at these same maths and English results for 2014 across the city, there is a significant difference in the pass rates school by school from 66% to 95%.
“Measures of attainment across school leavers by level of deprivation also show the scale of the challenge that our teachers and pupils face to reduce the achievement gap across our city.”
This news follows the launch of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Attainment Challenge. It aims to improve educational outcomes for children and young people living in Dundee’s most deprived communities.
Dundee City Council education convener Stewart Hunter said: “While I am pleased to see an improving trend, I want to make sure that even more of our young people are maximising their potential.
“Our schools are focused on raising attainment and encouraging pupils to prepare for the challenges they will face in the future.”