The number of pupils leaving school without a proper maths qualification has nearly doubled in the past four years, according to new analysis.
It comes just weeks after damning statistics, released by the Scottish Government, revealed fewer than half of Dundee’s P7s hit the expected level of numeracy.
Research by Scottish Labour found that one in every 16 school leavers – the equivalent of more than one from every class in Scotland – has no maths qualification which matched even the lowest pass marks at the old standard grade qualifications.
Iain Gray, the party’s education spokesman, said: “The SNP has slashed funding for our schools, with £500 million cut from local budgets last year alone and £327 million set to come, 4,000 fewer teachers, and an 18 per cent fall in support staff.
“Under the SNP, Scotland has lost two science or maths teachers every single week.
“You can’t keep on cutting like that and expect our children to get the skills they need to get on in life.”
The analysis of government figures showed that 3,228 pupils left Scottish schools with a pass of SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) level 3 or higher in 2014/15, compared to 1,890 pupils in 2011/12.
According to a recent government report, the number of teachers across Scotland increased year-on-year by 253 to a total of 50,970, but levels are still lower than when the SNP took power almost a decade ago.
Meanwhile, the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) results gave Scotland its worst education report since devolution, with falls in reading, maths and science.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We have taken action to maintain teacher numbers and committed £88 million this year to make sure every school has access to the right number of teachers.
“We have delivered our #inspiringteachers campaign to encourage more people into the profession, we have increased student teacher intake targets for the fifth year in a row, and we are setting targets to train teachers in the subjects where they are needed most, including STEM subjects.
“We’d welcome sight of the analysis that Scottish Labour have used in their assertions which fails to recognise the increased proportion of school leavers attaining in maths at SCQF4+ and makes crude assumptions about class sizes.”