This comes after the Audit Commission for Scotland told North Lanarkshire Council to "improve service performance in S3-S6 secondary educational attainment and pupil attendance" in their recent Best Value report.

At the Scotland Parliament last week Central Scotland list MSP John Wilson, who is also a North Lanarkshire councillor, asked education minister Fiona Hyslop what discussions are taking place between the Scottish Executive and the council regarding the concerns raised by the Audit Commission about pupil attainment levels in S3 to S6.

The minister for children and early years Adam Ingram responded: "The quality of education in North Lanarkshire is a matter for the council. We expect North Lanarkshire Council to take the necessary action to secure continuous improvement in its schools, and our experience is that is happening.

"It is important to stress that the Best Value report contained no recommendations for ministers to take forward."

Councillor Wilson said: "When the council were saying how great their Best Value report was they didn't mention the Audit Commission identifying problems with the attainment of S3 to S6 pupils.

"My background is in social justice but I'm looking at this more as the parent of a 17-year-old who is just finishing fifth year at a North Lanarkshire school but there is of course a social justice impact as well because if pupils aren't getting a proper education then they may not be able to go to university of get better paying jobs.

"Some pupils may well get good results regardless of the environment they are being educated in but we have a collective responsibility to ensure that the education being provided isn't just "fine" but is the best it can possibly be not just across individual areas or schools but subjects as well.

"I hoped the minister would assure me that talks are ongoing with North Lanarkshire Council and any issues that arise will be looked at, so I'm slightly disappointed but then I believe the minister was badly briefed and was actually answering the question on the basis of the 2005 report, not the current one.

"I will now wait until the August exam results to see if there has been any year on year progress but I feel sure that this question will be resubmitted by September and this issue will run and run.""

Meanwhile, Motherwell North councillor Gordon Stewart, a former teacher, has promised to demand answers as to why North Lanarkshire finds itself fourth bottom of the exam results league table at the next meeting of the learning and leisure committee.

Councillor Stewart was a teacher at Dykehead Primary in Shotts for 29 years and believes the education system has slowly been experiencing entropy for a long time.

He said: "I suggested during a council discussion that we were third bottom of the exam tables only to be told we were actually fourth, as if that's anything to be proud of.

"Not only do we have problems with results but in recent weeks we've heard about drug dealing and teachers being filmed yet instead of these kids being kicked out they are merely given a short suspension.

"I actually brought it up at the full meeting of the council last week but was just told they "treat it seriously" so I guess I'll have to introduce a motion at the next learning and leisure committee meeting.

"If I'm honest I'd suggest parents send their child into a private school to ensure they get the best education as while plenty of money is being spent on school buildings, staff and resources are being neglected and things have been getting steadily worse for years."

Council education officer David Craig accepts the current situation isn't very good but believes there is hope for optimism.

He said: "North Lanarkshire Council is very aware that when compared to other local authority areas, levels of attainment reached by S3 to S6 pupils are not as good as we would like them to be. However, national figures do not recognise the more than 2,000 young people in North Lanarkshire currently undertaking a wide range of vocational courses through our secondary schools. Furthermore, they do not recognise that attainment levels at earlier stages have been increasing in recent years. We are confident this trend will continue.

"All our schools are looking closely at the appropriateness of the courses they offer to ensure we equip our young people with the skills and experience they will need for their lives after school. This links closely with the current review of Scottish education, which will result in a more flexible and enriched curriculum for ages 3 to 18 focused on the needs of every young person.

"North Lanarkshire Council is committed to providing the best possible learning experience for every young person in its care."