By TOM TORRANCE

LABOUR has raised concerns about a 40 per cent increase in the number of primary pupils being taught in classes of 30 or more.

In 2016, the pupil census showed that 44,667 (11 per cent) of Scotland’s 396,697 primary pupils were in a class of more than 30.

That compares to 31,842 (nine per cent) of the 366,429 pupils in 2011.

Labour said the figures underlined the need to use the Scottish Parliament’s income tax powers to invest more money in education.

Education spokesman Iain Gray MSP said: “The SNP came to power promising to cut classroom sizes – instead it has just cut the number of teachers in our schools.

“Promises, pledges and PR stunts on education cannot hide the SNP’s dismal record on our schools – 4,000 fewer teachers, £1.5 billion cut from local budgets, super-sized school classes and a stubborn attainment gap between the richest and the rest.”

Mr Gray highlighted comments made earlier this week by EIS president Nicola Fisher at the SNP’s conference in Glasgow that teachers were “on their knees” with low pay and high workloads taking a toll on mental, physical and emotional health.

Mr Gray added: “Not only has the SNP betrayed parents and pupils with this broken promise – it is one of the reasons John Swinney was told to his face at the SNP conference that Scottish teachers are ‘on their knees’.

“Just as 10 years of the SNP has left Scottish teachers among the lowest paid and most overworked in the developed world, they have also delivered some of the biggest class sizes in the world in Scottish schools. Nicola Sturgeon put her top minister in charge of the education brief, but John Swinney has found himself overwhelmed and is unable to explain how his misguided reforms will cut class sizes.”