Opposition councillors from SNP-run Glasgow have voted to let headteachers scrap the Scottish Government’s controversial tests for five-year-olds in the city.

The group also passed a motion of no confidence in Glasgow City Council's education convener Chris Cunningham.

The introduction of primary school assessments by the Scottish Government has proved controversial - particularly in P1 - with concerns they can be upsetting and offer little in the way of evidence on a child's progress at such a young age.

Last December, councillors from Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens at Glasgow City Council united to back a call for standardised testing not to be used in city schools.

However, the council, run by a minority SNP administration - ignored the vote, with Mr Cunningham arguing the way the motion was worded meant it was an “expression of an opinion” not an instruction to officers.

The council also said it did not have the power to order headteachers to scrap the assessments if they wanted to use them.

The current motion calls on the council to write to headteachers urging support if they want to scrap the assessments.

But it also advises that headteachers who want to use the tests should allow parents to opt out if they want to.

Iain Gray MSP, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman, said the latest vote highlighted the "arrogance" of the SNP in Glasgow.

He said: "It is clear that SNP education convenors are taking the lead from John Swinney and refusing to listen when it comes to these tests.

"Parents don’t want them, teachers and educationalists think they are useless, and the Scottish Parliament has voted to scrap P1 tests across Scotland.

"Instead of implementing unwanted reforms, the SNP should focus on the real issues in education – teacher workload, the narrowing curriculum and resourcing our classrooms properly."

The current motion states that the education convener "disrespected" the position of councillors on the issue.

It says: "Council confirms the current SNP administration is in a minority position and considers its attempt to defy the majority vote of Glasgow city councillors as unacceptable. 

"Council therefore instructs the executive director of education to write to all headteachers in Glasgow advising them that this council fully supports them when they choose not to use the Scottish National Standardised Assessments at P1.

"Council further resolves that the city convener for education has lost the confidence of this council."