Declining standards in Scotland’s schools could end up undermining the success of the country’s universities, a leading Dundee councillor has claimed.
Earlier this week it was revealed that standards in core subjects are slipping in Scottish schools.
According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), scores for maths, reading and science have all declined.
Tests began in 2000 and the latest results were the first time all three subject areas were classed as “average.”
On the same day the results were released, Dundee University announced it has received £13.6 million from medical charity Wellcome to research tropical diseases.
Veteran independent councillor Ian Borthwick is now warning successes like Dundee University’s will be harder to come by if immediate action is not taken to address the problems in Scotland’s schools.
He said: “The award was tremendous news for Dundee University and for the city but the situation sums up the problems facing Dundee and Scotland.
“On one hand we have success like the university and on the other standards appear to be falling in our schools.
“If standards don’t improve, or continue to fall, then that will eventually impact on our universities.”
Mr Borthwick added: “I would say our children are our most vital resource and there needs to be action taken to improve the situation.”
The Strathmartine councillor said all councillors should be willing to set aside party politics to improve education in the city.
He said: “All elected members on the council must work together to achieve these objectives.”
Education Secretary John Swinney said the PISA results made uncomfortable reading and demonstrated the need for “radical reform” in Scotland’s education system.
But Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland has said schools have been underfunded and overburdened with “administrative functions.”
Opposition parties accused the SNP of presiding over a decade of failure in Scotland’s schools.
The PISA testing system was introduced in 2000 among countries from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Scotland was ranked ninth overall for mathematics in 2003 but fell to 24th place in 2015.
