An academic claimed yesterday that Scotland's education system was failing pupils - on the day that a conference, organised by the Scottish government, declared the country was entering one of the most dynamic times in schooling for a generation.

James Stanfield, of Newcastle University, who undertook a comparative study of the two systems, said that the Scottish system had become the emperor without any clothes.

“Everyone knows he's naked, everyone knows there are bad schools, but no one is prepared to say anything. The parents know it, the teachers know it and the local authorities know it, but no one admits it. You have to ask, how bad does it have to be before they do something?” he said.

The stark contrast in approach to raising standards north and south of the Border was highlighted yesterday by Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary at Westminster, who issued a warning to almost one in five secondary schools in England - 638 - to improve exam results or face closure.

Fiona Hyslop, the Scots Education Secretary, announced various social and curriculum initiatives, including the programmes “Getting It Right For Every Child” and “More Choices, More Chances”. This, she said, would achieve the biggest development of Scottish education for a generation by making the system more inclusive, more dynamic and fairer.

Yet a survey this week revealed that just 6 per cent of children in primary seven are achieving expected levels of knowledge and understanding of science, a figure that Ms Hyslop described as unacceptable.

Mr Stanfield attacked “Getting It Right For Every Child”, saying: “It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Of course they are trying to get it right for every child - but what does it mean? Nothing. They've been trying for 50 years, and spending billions of pounds in the process, and yet everyone knows Scotland has failing schools. In every other walk of life, if things are failing, they have to go.”

In England, the Government is threatening closure of schools in which fewer than 30 per cent of pupils achieve at least five good GCSEs, including Maths and English. In Scotland, similar figures are not published. But a 2007 study by Mr Stanfield for the Policy Institute in Edinburgh showed that children achieved five good grades in only nine of the 32 local authorities.

It also showed that English schools were outperforming their Scottish counterparts, with a higher proportion achieving five good grades. In 2006-07 the number of S4 pupils in Scotland reaching the benchmark fell to 39.2 per cent, down from 43.8 per cent the previous year. In England, the equivalent figure rose to 45.7 per cent from 45.3 per cent.

In the five local authorities with the lowest educational achievements - West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Dundee and Glasgow - an average of between 30 and 38 per cent of children achieved five good grades with maths and English.

Statistically, this implies that several schools in every area achieved grades well below the level at which England now defines a failing school.

Tom Miers, head of the Policy Institute, said that schools in Scotland were worse than those in England, despite a 93 per cent increase in funding per pupil since 1999.

“Although reform in England is slow and people have entrenched positions, they are starting to do something about it. Here we are still living on our reputation. I think our schools are worse than in England now, even though they get more money,” he added.

A Scottish government spokesman said: “We are committed to driving up performance in Scotland's schools. That's why we have given councils record levels of funding.”

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