Lindsay Paterson, professor of educational policy at Edinburgh University, told a conference that the Curriculum for Excellence did not have enough of a focus on driving up basic skills – despite the rhetoric surrounding it.

Under changes proposed for the new curriculum, the Scottish Government said the three Rs would be embedded in all lessons – rather than just English or maths – with close attention to spelling, comprehension and punctuation.

In April last year Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced that every secondary pupil would sit compulsory literacy and numeracy exams to address concerns from business that too many pupils are leaving school without basic standards. In addition, pupils in primary will also by assessed on literacy and numeracy before P7.

However, delegates at an education conference in Edinburgh, organised by the Scottish Conservative Party, heard criticism of the proposals.

“The evidence from international studies shows that Scotland is, at best, mediocre, and has not got better since the early 1990s,” said Mr Paterson.

“We also know that Scottish attainment has not been getting better in the way that we would have hoped and we should not be complacent about that and we should be expecting to be a lot better.

“I have looked at the content of the Curriculum for Excellence and I cannot see where there is attention given to the basics of grammar, for example, or spelling.

“Neither do I see in the numeracy curriculum where the technical skills of mathematics will happen. They may happen, but that will be because the teachers will choose to make them happen because these skills are not enforced or prescribed.”

However, Helen Connor, president of the Educational Institute of Scotland, disputed Mr Paterson’s comments.

“It is wrong to say that basic skills are not be taught or will not be taught under the Curriculum for Excellence,” she said. “We are looking at what children need that is different to what they needed five or 10 years ago and there are proposed changes to the way in which we teach, but those basic skills will always be a part of what goes on in schools.”