EDUCATION bosses have hailed pupil success in Clydebank as concerns have been raised nationally that youngsters from deprived areas were penalised by the exams authority.

West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) said almost every pupil who presented for qualifications got at least one this year, the first ever without exams because of the pandemic.

But 125,000 marks across Scotland were lowered by exams body the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to “maintain credibility”.

And teachers and politicians warned pupils from areas of deprivation would be worst affected.

WDC said 2,136 pupils were set for exams this year before they were cancelled, with all but 26 achieving one or more qualifications.

Pass rates for National 5s were 84 per cent, up two per cent from last year, while the National 4 pass rate was at 93 per cent, up five per cent.

Highers saw rates of 79 per cent, and Advanced Highers were at 84 per cent.

The council hailed Clydebank High for getting 100 per cent pass rates in Advanced Higher Art and Design, Higher Music, and National 5 Early Learning and Child Care.

St Peter the Apostle High got 100 per cent in Advanced Higher Chemistry, Higher Politics, Nat 5 Administration and IT, and Practical Metalwork.

Literacy and numeracy rates rose from 80 per cent last year to 82 per cent, the council said.

Councillor Karen Conaghan, West Dunbartonshire’s convener of educational services, said: “It’s important to recognise the huge and unstinting efforts of all of our pupils and staff in what has been an extremely challenging end to the school year.

“Despite this, it is very encouraging to see the great progress being made by our pupils. I am also pleased to see progress being maintained in results for literacy and numeracy and also improvements in all from National 4 to Advanced Higher.

“I would like to sincerely thank all of our dedicated teachers and support staff who have continued to support our pupils through the pandemic and all of our parents who supported their children at home.”

But a quarter of grades were adjusted in Scotland, according to figures, with education secretary John Swinney saying 6.9 per cent were adjusted up, and 93.1 per cent were put down.

One West Dunbartonshire-based teacher told the Post: “Whilst I appreciate the SQA had to do something this year which was unprecedented and challenging, I never for a second thought their process of moderation would have been so unjust.

“Many pupils this year have been unfairly marked down in order to achieve a status quo based upon the previous performance of pupils at their school, and not their own individual merits or achievements.

“I am appalled for many of the pupils I teach who would have inevitably achieved far better results had their school been located in the leafy suburbs.”

Ross Greer MSP said: “Teachers and pupils should not hesitate to appeal these huge changes from the grades they submitted.

“I have been contacted by senior staff at schools who have seen over 90 per cent of their Higher and Advanced Higher grades changed, almost all lowered and in every one of these cases the school has been in a deprived community.

“Pupils are having their futures disadvantaged and it seems to be for no other reason than they school they go to. This is frankly disturbing and grossly unequal.”

“Closing the attainment gap between our most and least disadvantaged young people is supposed to be this government’s top priority. Sadly, the opposite has been allowed to happen today.”

When asked about the downgraded marks at a national level, a WDC spokeswoman told the Post: “We have not been made aware of any concern regarding the exam results.”