Pupils’ exam results are getting better, North Ayrshire Council says, despite unofficial league tables showing a bleaker picture.
League tables published in the press show only about a third of pupils from most secondaries in the area are getting the equivalent of five or more Highers.
But figures revealed by the council show passrates improved in 2018.
Statistics presented to councillors last week revealed the results gap is reducing between children from the 20 per cent most deprived areas and the rest.
The council said the proportion of school leavers getting jobs or going into further education is up to 95.6 per cent, putting the area in the top 10 local authorities.
It also said pupils’ literacy performance at Level 4 and Level 5 in 2018 has been the highest recorded to date.
But percentages of teens scoring more than five Highers showed two-thirds were missing that standard.
The figures show 24 per cent of pupils in Irvine Royal got the equivalent of five or more Highers.
The figure was 28 per cent in Auchenharvie Academy, 30 per cent in Greenwood Academy, 33 per cent in Kilwinning Academy and 31 per cent in St Matthew’s Academy. Largs had 46 per cent of school children reaching the five-plus Higher target.
The council uses a tool called Insight, provided by the Scottish Government, to measure academic performance.
But a councillor has questioned whether traditional league tables are better.
Councillor Tom Marshall was sceptical of the methods used to measure results.
He asked whether league tables published by newspapers, showing how many pupils bagged five or more Highers, are now the only reliable standard.
The former teacher put the question to North Ayrshire Council’s cabinet member for education John Bell at last week’s council meeting.
Councillor Bell said he “strongly disagreed” that the unofficial league tables are the only reliable way of measuring performance.
He said they focus on a “narrow interpretation of school achievement.”
He added: “School education is about a wide range of qualifications and experiences and success should not be measured solely on one benchmark.”
Council education head Andrew McClelland said the authority was delighted with the positive progress.
He said: “We remain focused on securing further improvements to the educational achievements of all our learners in North Ayrshire.
He praised the work of staff and students.
