PUPILS from private schools are three times more likely than those in the state sector to appeal exam results prompting accusations of unfairness.

Official figures show six per cent of pupils from the independent sector appealed their exam results last year compared to just two per cent from comprehensive schools.

The issue has proved controversial because the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) now charges for its post results review service - with costs ranging from £10 to check if marks have been added up correctly to £39.75 for a full review.

The new system was attacked as unfair last year because parents from private schools can pay for checks while those in the state sector cannot.

Iain Gray, education spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, said it was clear the SQA's new charging regime for exam "appeals" was unfairly favouring pupils in private schools.

"These figures show this inherent unfairness has only got worse. Private school pupils are now three times more likely to get a second chance at the marking of their exams than pupils in local authority schools.

"Pupils from better off families are already at an educational advantage thanks to their parent's income and this just makes that worse. SNP ministers refused to listen to concerns last year, but they should listen now."

However, a spokesman for the SQA said the post results service had been developed in consultation and agreement with all parts of the education sector. He added: "Schools and colleges are responsible for entering candidates for qualifications using their professional judgement and knowledge of their candidates’ work and performance through the year.

"They are best placed to assess if a candidate’s results should be submitted for the post results service. How payments are made is a matter for local authorities with their individual schools."

John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), said the private sector was acting entirely appropriately.

He said: "In terms of what local authorities choose to do is entirely up to them on a school by school basis whether they want to put pupils forward for a results check. If they are limited by the amount of funding they have then that is an issue for them.

"For our schools it is not an issue of money first at all. Just like the previous system nobody will go forward unless the family, the pupil and the staff of the school agree that there is grounds to do so.

"Whether that fee is charged back to the parents is neither here nor there because the families are paying for the education anyway."

Mr Edward said the figures might reflect the fact proportionally more pupils in the private sector were competing for places at university and were therefore more likely to contest grades.

A Scottish Government spokesman said no young person was at a disadvantage through the results service in Scotland.

He said: SQA accepts requests for its results services from schools and colleges only and a school should only request a review if it has a legitimate query about a candidate’s results based on the professional judgment of the teacher.

“As with all SQA charges, local authorities meet the costs of requests by public sector schools to use this service and recent national guidance from education directors makes clear that no young person should be denied access to this service on the grounds of cost.

"We would be disappointed if the current guidance and service was not being followed. Pupils and their families in state schools are never asked to pay for the post results service."

The SQA figures, obtained by The Herald under freedom of information legislation, also show the total cost to council schools in 2015 was £230,389 while private schools paid out £55,236.