A NATIONAL audit to find out if Scottish schools are ready to introduce controversial new exams has been dismissed as "superficial" by the country's largest teaching union.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said there was no evidence of widespread consultation with classroom teachers in the exercise.

The warning comes just a week after The Herald revealed similar concerns from the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA).

An SSTA straw poll found more than half of the country's 32 councils had not asked senior subject teachers for their views, relying instead on headteachers or council education officials.

The audit is crucial because it will inform the Scottish Government of the readiness of schools to deliver National 4 and National 5 exams, which replace Standard Grades and Intermediates.

Some 54,000 pupils in S2 will be sitting the first National exams in 2013/14, but there has been long-standing concern over whether schools will be ready.

East Renfrewshire, the country's top-performing education authority – and a number of leading private schools – have decided to delay the new Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) for a year because of the concerns.

The Scottish Government has provided a £3.5 million package to support schools that need extra help, but identifying where help is needed is a key part of the national audit, led by the Education Scotland quango.

Larry Flanagan, EIS general secretary, said: "The agreement facilitated what has been referred to as a deep audit of schools' state of readiness to deliver CfE, but initial returns from EIS members in schools indicate this has been a more superficial process than envisaged.

"It is absolutely essential that teachers' voices are heard as part of this review as it is classroom practitioners who are best able to judge what is required to deliver CfE successfully.

"Classroom teachers have to be involved because they are the ones that understand what is happening. This has to be addressed in order for the audit to be meaningful."

An Education Scotland spokesman said: "Education Scotland is undertaking an audit to establish a national picture of progress towards implementation of CfE.

"The package agreed between the Scottish Government and the EIS demonstrates a commitment to ensuring the professional voice of teachers is heard. This included an agreement that EIS would raise any requests for support directly with Education Scotland to be reflected in the final report of its audit."

Meanwhile, the EIS and the SSTA both welcomed the publication of the final course, unit and assessment specifications for the new National Qualifications by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Mr Flanagan said: "The agreement between the EIS and the Scottish Government provided for similar course materials to be made available for all subjects, at all levels, and we now expect Education Scotland and the SQA to deliver timeously on this promise."

Ann Ballinger, general secretary of the SSTA, added: "Until subject specialists have had time to look carefully at the resources available it is difficult to judge how effective they will be.

"However, we welcome the delivery of this material which will enable subjects departments to add some meat to the bones of CfE and begin planning for the future."