Scotland’s education system is “at the brink of collapse” as a result of “nationalist politics”, the UK’s Education Secretary has claimed.

Gillian Keegan said school standards north of the border had “plummeted” because Scottish ministers had insisted on taking a different approach from England.

A spokesperson for SNP Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said Ms Keegan should stop “pontificating about schools outwith her jurisdiction”. 

The row followed last week’s publication of data showing Scotland slipping in a key international education league.

The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) rankings for 2022, which looked at 3,300 Scottish pupils aged 15 and compared the performance with 81 other countries, showed declines in maths, reading and science since 2018.

Scotland’s average reading score was 493 – higher than the OECD average but a fall of 11 points from the 2018 score of 504. England’s score was 496 for last year.

In maths and science, Scotland fell slightly below average, scoring 471 and 483 respectively. 

Scotland was third across the UK on the two subjects, behind England’s 492 in maths and 503 in science, with only Wales scoring less on 466 and 473.

However decline was reported across the UK, with the Pisa report noting “unprecedented” results as the average score fell by 15 points in maths and 10 in reading, with Covid a factor.

As first minister, Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged above all on her record on education.

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Ms Gilruth is due to make a key statement to Holyrood on Tuesday about literacy and numeracy performance in schools.

Writing in Scotland on Sunday, Ms Keegan was scathing about the SNP’s record since 2007.

The Chichester MP said Scotland was “once the envy of the world for education” but the Pisa results were a “tale of two records” with England “continuing to rise up the international rankings versus a failing Scottish system at the brink of collapse”.

She said: “This situation hasn’t happened by chance. Different parts of the UK have taken fundamentally different (approaches) to education.

“Under the SNP, standards have plummeted due to their progressive ideology, they have refused to follow our lead on academisation, they have watered down the rigour of their exams and they have refused to open themselves up for scrutiny, pulling out of two international rankings.”

Claiming “Scottish children have been let down by the SNP”, she went on: “The SNP have inflicted the worst ever education results in Scotland’s history for both maths and science on parents and pupils.

“I do judge the SNP on their record – and it is clear they have failed. Scottish schools need a change. 

“They need a government who will put pupils and parents above their nationalist politics to ensure the next generation have a brighter future.”

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A spokesperson for Ms Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government won’t be taking any lectures from Gillian Keegan about how to run our schools.

“Earlier this year Ms Keegan invited people to praise her approach to dealing with the issues associated with Raac (Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in England’s schools.

“This bizarre process involved no engagement with devolved governments and instead caused panic and alarm for parents and pupils alike.

“Ms Keegan would do better to focus on the areas she has responsibility for in England, rather than pontificating about schools outwith her jurisdiction.”