A number of schools are no longer offering science subjects at Higher level, blaming a lack of interest from pupils.

Govan High School in Glasgow has dropped biology, chemistry and physics, while chemistry is not taught at John Paul Academy and Lochend Community High. Drumchapel High has dropped physics.

The schools claim the move reflects a decline in demand for science subjects, however opposition politicians and education campaigners have blamed cost-cutting and argue that all schools should offer all three subjects at Higher level.

They claim failure to stimulate interest in science at school could damage Scotland’s future economic growth.

Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives and the party’s education spokesman, accused local authorities of “abdicating” their responsibility.

“The Scottish government regularly tells us about its commitment to science and how important it is for our economic growth as a nation that we have a strong science base,” he said. “But here we have a number of high schools that are not offering the core science subjects to pupils.

“We need to be encouraging youngsters to develop an interest in science so that there will be demand for these Higher subjects.”

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said some schools were discouraging pupils from taking harder science subjects in order to improve their performance in exam league tables.

“This deprives youngsters of the opportunity to study the science subjects essential for careers such as medicine,” he said. “A system that does not provide these opportunities is clearly not providing an effective education. A lot of people in the educational establishment prefer to put their pupils in for easier exams to achieve better pass results.”

A recent survey of pupils’ performance across 59 countries found standards slipping in Scotland. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science report ranked Scotland 15th in the league table for science at S2 and behind Latvia and Kazakhstan for science and maths achievement.

On Tuesday, the Scottish government will unveil a campaign to stimulate new interest in science from pupils in primary schools and their parents.

Glasgow city council denied pupils’ education was being compromised and said the curriculum was reviewed each year. It said that where students wished to study a science subject not offered by their school arrangements would be made for them to study it elsewhere.

Times Recommends

• Milk: do we need a dairy godmother?
• DIY: the women doing it for themselves
• First double portrait of Princes unveiled