THE ratings schools are given after an inspection could be scrapped, Education Secretary John Swinney has suggested.

Currently, a school’s performance in various areas such as leadership and the curriculum are rated at one of six levels such as unsatisfactory, weak, satisfactory, very good or excellent.

However, Mr Swinney said he thought there was “merit” in getting rid of the ratings because they became too much of a focus.

Mr Swinney stressed it was up to the chief inspector of schools whether any change was made, but added: “I think there is merit in that argument.”

He added: “The current richness of school-inspection reports could become lost if people focus predominantly on the ratings.”

Gayle Gorman, the chief inspector, later confirmed the idea was being explored by officials.

She said: “Often we get involved in a debate about what schools got and instead it should be a debate about what schools learned.

“There has been no formal consultation, but it’s certainly something we’ve been talking about and looking at.”

Ms Gorman stressed any alternative system of inspection would have to be clear about a school’s strengths and weaknesses.

However, the idea was questioned by Liz Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservative Party.

She said: “Inspections are a vital part of the education system in terms of maintaining and enhancing school standards.

“The news that John Swinney believes there is merit in removing some of the objective classification in favour of more subjective assessments will be a worry to many parents and pupils.

“One of the most important reasons for school inspections is that they show the year-on-year performance and graded criteria can be very helpful in that respect.”

Eileen Prior, executive director of parent body Connect, said: “We would welcome a fresh look at inspections and how information is shared with families.

“However, parents want something that’s meaningful and recognisable as their child’s school. They don’t want jargon.”