THE main challenge for the city continues to be the poor performance of many schools and pupils. While there had been “notable improvements” over the past two years, it still lags behind other authorities with similar characteristics in Standard grade and Higher results.
There have been major gains, however, in the rates of progress of primary pupils in reading, writing and maths.
The inspectorate also flags up the ned for Dundee to shut primary schools with the same vigour it showed in an earlier controversial rationalisation programme, which earns a commendation in the report.
Forty-eight per cent of primaries have an occupancy rate of 60 per cent or less, compared with a national average of 31 per cent. The divergence in the secondary sector is less marked - 20 per cent in Dundee, against a Scottish figure of 17 per cent.
