Although exam results showed an increase of around one or two percent on the numbers achieving awards in some categories, Dundee remains rooted near the bottom of a table of attainment.

Overall, and in comparison with the previous year, the number of exam awards went up in five categories with another five remaining the same and two falling.

Last year, results stayed the same in four categories, improved in three, but deteriorated in six.

Councillor Keenan admitted that the improvements had been slight, but maintained the council was heading in the right direction.

He said, “Clearly, it would be impossible to predict there would be huge improvements. If we keep on stepping in the right direction then I think parents, pupils and teachers will be happy.

“We are not complacent, but teachers and pupils are seeing the results of their efforts.

“In some cases, we have become reasonably close to other areas.

“If we had put a strategy in place and there had been no sign that we were stepping in the right direction then we would have been disappointed.

“We are doing what we can and hopefully we will continue to move in the right direction.”

Councillor Keenan said education officers had already started looking at other areas to see if lessons could be learned.

However, he said parents had a vital role and questioned whether their offspring should be allowed to spend far more time at a computer or games console than doing homework.

Asked whether he felt parents should be satisfied with this year’s results, Mr Keenan said, “Parents have the right to expect the best for their child. In some cases, it would be good for them to get more involved. The length of time children spend at school and the length of time they spend at home has a huge correlation. They could be spending more time on revision than on computer games.

““I appeal to parents to get their kids to do more work at home. We would also like to have more parental involvement in our schools.

“Kids spend more time at home than they do at school. If they revised lessons at the end of the day, that would be a help.

“We’re hopeful the improvements made will accelerate, but if we continue to see small improvements we’ll be reasonably happy.

“We can’t say there will be a huge percentage rise next year but a small increase in results every year is good. If we are moving in the right direction, that’s good.”