Parents have called for a digital revolution in Scottish schools to help solve the current squeeze on subject choice.

The National Parent Forum of Scotland said greater use of technology could ensure pupils were able to study what they wanted, regardless of what was on offer locally.

Although all schools in Scotland are connected through a schools’ internet called Glow, the use of digital technology for remote teaching is not widely used – apart from far-flung schools in the Highlands and Islands.

Earlier this week, it emerged pupils are being forced to study subjects they “hate” because of the squeeze on qualification choice.

Read more: Analysis: E-learning not just for rural pupils, it can help tackle urban squeeze

A poll for the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee found 76 per cent of parents felt their children were not able to take all the subjects they wanted.

Timetabling clashes between popular subjects was the most frequently cited reason for a child missing out, as well as a shortage of teachers in certain subjects.

Joanna Murphy, chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, called for a transformation in the way schools harnessed digital technology.

She said: “Obviously a teacher in every classroom is the best option, but until we solve the teacher shortage then we need to think laterally and digital means could easily be the solution.

“Our children are digital natives and while we as adults can’t imagine being taught via a screen, our children are used to it. They already turn to online support such as BBC bitesize and YouTube when they are revising. They seem to be able to cope with this and it’s them doing the learning so maybe it’s us holding them back?”

Eileen Prior, executive director of parent body Connect, said the use of technology was helpful, but some schools currently had difficulties with broadband.

She said: “Some schools continue to have poor internet access, even in areas where connectivity should be good, and there remain serious connectivity issues in several communities around Scotland.

“This impacts on the ability of schools to use everything that the internet has to offer. We don’t have a level digital playing field and this really must be sorted out.”

Susan Quinn, convener of the education committee of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union, warned that the technology should not be used to replace traditional face-to-face teaching.

“We recognise that this sort of remote teaching is being used in rural areas, but we have concerns about that being rolled out to a wider group. It really should be for distance situations rather than just because a council cannot recruit a teacher,” she said.

“Having 30 pupils in a class in Glasgow being taught through a video link by a teacher in a classroom with another 30 pupils in front of them is not something that we think is workable or practical. The best way of improving opportunities for pupils in a range of subjects is to recruit specialist teachers.”

Laura Gordon, headteacher of the Highland Virtual Academy, said the technology worked well with no negative impact on results.

The initiative, which uses a video conferencing app, was established three years ago to enhance the curriculum for schools across the Highlands.

Ms Gordon said: “We have lots of smaller schools on the north and west coast that don’t have the same provision as our larger schools because they just don’t have the staffing.

“We wanted everyone to have access to all the courses available in our larger schools so the virtual academy was set up. We now have up to 150 pupils studying courses and we have 270 applications for next year.”

Under the model, the academy runs a set programme of National, Higher and Advanced Higher courses every year.

They have found class sizes work best when there are no more than 20 pupils logging in to a session to allow teachers to fully interact with everyone logged on.

So far results have been just as good as face-to-face lessons – and in some cases outcomes have been even better.

“Engagement with pupils is good because pupils are under the spotlight more, the class sizes are smaller and all the learning is collaborative and active so there isn’t an opportunity not to engage. Some of our results last year were better than faceto-face teaching, but the pupils have to have the independent learning skills in order to benefit from it.”

Last month, a report by the Reform Scotland think-tank found the number of National 4 and National 5 qualifications on offer is in decline.

A majority of schools now only offer six subjects in the fourth year of secondary school compared to eight or nine a few years ago.

In contrast, private schools are continuing to offer up to nine. The Scottish Government argues Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) provides greater flexibility and allows schools to design a more tailored education for pupils – including courses that don’t necessarily result in formal qualifications.

Because more pupils are staying on until sixth year, ministers argue that gives them more time to study qualifications as they move up through school.