RUTH Davidson was accused of “cooking up a moanfest” on Scottish education after she questioned a decades-old practice in Scotland’s schools.

The criticism came after she revealed figures, obtained by the Scottish Tories using Freedom of Information, showing that there are 112 schools in the country where a subject is being taught to three different qualification levels in the same class – and a further 11 schools where the classes have pupils studying for four different exams.

With the First Minister in Normandy for D Day commemorations, it was John Swinney who was answering on behalf of the Government.

He said this “multi-level teaching” had been part of the school system for decades.

Davidson said that in Inverclyde Academy in Greenock “maths is being taught for National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher all in the same classroom”.

The EIS teaching union, she pointed out, had warned of an “explosion” of such classes, while leaders of another trades union, the NASUWT, have complained that this causes “intolerable workload or stress” for teachers.

Davidson pressed the Education Secretary on the practice of multi-level classes, saying he had he previously claimed “he had never heard anybody say that there was anything wrong with combined classes and that there was no data to suggest that the problem was widespread”.

“I have come here today and given him the arguments from the experts and the data. After 12 years of Government, is it not time that we had ministers in charge who were prepared to face up to the challenges in our schools instead of denying that they exist, or is it the case that defending their failed record matters more to this Government than educating our young people across the country?”

Swinney said he stood by his remarks and that “multi-level teaching is able to be delivered effectively in our schools by teachers who are trained to deliver professionalism of that quality and that standard.”

He added: “What I am interested in is making sure our education system delivers the best outcomes possible for the young people of Scotland,” he said. “And on that the evidence is substantial that the education system is doing exactly that.

“We see young people now achieving more within our schools, we see attainment rising within our society, equipping our young people with the qualifications they require and we also see young people leaving school to the highest level of positive destinations in our history. I recognise there is a debate to be had. but I also want to make sure we do not lose sight of the phenomenal achievement that young people are making in our education system today.”

He went on to accuse the Tory leader of “cooking up the moanfest to bring to Parliament”.

The Education Secretary stated: “What matters is not the litany of complaints Ruth Davidson brings to this Parliament, what matters is what is being achieved by the young people of Scotland. Attainment is rising, more Highers, positive destinations improving year on year, that is what Scottish education is determined to deliver, that is what it is delivering, that is what I am happy to celebrate and I am not going to take any moanfest from Ruth Davidson on the subject.”

Meanwhile, in a question on P1 standardised assessments, LibDem leader Willie Rennie compared Swinney to Donald Trump.

“The Education Committee said he was confused, teachers said they had no real value, parents in his own constituency boycotted them, the teachers’ union wanted them scrapped, and Parliament instructed John Swinney to stop – that’s national testing for five-year-olds. Yet on Tuesday he claimed the test had been implemented without any difficulty whatsover. On the very same day in London, Donald Trump claimed he only saw cheering crowds. Two peas in a pod, both in denial.”

The Deputy First Minister responded: “I think that ridiculous question is symbolic of Willie Rennie’s leadership.”

Swinney said he would say more about the assessments in a statement to Parliament on Tuesday.