Ms Gilruth expresses a concern about the report from Reform Scotland which focuses on the number of subjects being offered, but does not focus on children's mental health.

The SNP MSP goes on to say the six course option was dictated by the hours allocation from the SQA.

Prof Scott says he understands one director of education made simple calculations and decided that was all that could be carried out in the time frame.

He points out Glasgow does not impose a system on its schools and it is not a matter of the number of minutes available.

SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth asks whether variability of choices has been mapped in the past, pointing to differences between the number offered to herself and her sisters.

Prof Scott suggests it was easier to map in the past when the standard was eight subjects.

Does the current system disadvantage pupils at the end of S4, Ms Gilruth asks.

The most able will survive in any system and I think the most able are prospering, replies Prof Scott.

The trouble comes if you are at the bottom end of the group, he explains.

Dr Alan Britton says the question of who owns the curriculum in Scotland has still not been answered, which leads to opaque accountability.

Teachers and headteachers do have some control, but there is a tension between their autonomy and central control he argues.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Clare Adamson asks if Prof Scott's analysis only looks at SQA courses and are there other courses or curricular activity available.

The academic pivots to what Keir Bloomer calls the "Blue Peter approach to curricular planning" and unfurls a map of all the 357 secondary schools in Scotland.

Prof Scott says it demonstrates quite clearly there is a situation where there is considerable variability.

"I really find it difficult to say there is any improvement at all."

Prof Scott says he spent time finding out what each of the 32 local authorities were up to, but was only able to find three curricular policies in the public domain.

Ms Smith asks whether asks if the one size fits all approach to curriculum structure is in the spirit of the curriculum for excellence.

No, replies Prof Scott, and he questions whether there is a level of quality being delivered.

Image source, bbc

Ms Smith asks why there has been this very considerable reduction in subject choice.

Professor Jim Scott from the University of Dundee says that is difficult to answer, although he agrees with Mr Hardie that it is an unintended consequence.

Prof Scott says roughly half of Scotland's secondary schools are doing six courses in S4, which has spread like a virus with a ripple of infection through central Scotland.

If you are doing six courses to allow something else to be done there has to be evidence of something else being done as well and that evidence does not exist, he says.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

Image source, bbc

It is no surprise that different schools use the new qualifications in different ways.

That was an intentional part of the new qualifications system, and individual schools and councils took decisions on what they believed was right for their local circumstances.

The most popular curricular model allows students to obtain up to six qualifications in S4.

However, a significant number of schools offer seven - while smaller numbers offer five, eight or even routinely avoid presenting candidates for qualifications in S4.

Read more here.

Tory MSP Liz Smith says there have been a suggestion that the reduction in course choices has been intentional due to improved depth of learning.

William Hardie from the Royal Society of Edinburgh says it has not been stated anywhere that the policy intention was that there would be a reduction, but rather it was an unintentional consequence.

Education Scotland had to issue guidance in 2016 but this is still "quite unclear" about how to knit together the broad general education phase and then working towards qualifications in the senior phase, he adds.

Image source, GETTY IMAGES

State schools in Scotland are cutting the number of exams pupils are allowed to sit, according to new research.

Reform Scotland says the number of National 4 and 5 courses which schoolchildren can take has reduced in recent years.

The situation has been described as the "unintended consequence" of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) by critics.

The Scottish government insisted it is the qualifications which pupils leave school with that matter the most.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

The Education and Skills Committee , externalwill start shortly focusing on its school subject choices inquiry.

MSPs will hear from:

• Dr Alan Britton from University of Glasgow
• William Hardie from the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Professor Jim Scott from the University of Dundee

Read the committee papers here, external

Image source, bbc

Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

Nicola Sturgeon will today make a statement to Holyrood about the prospect of a second independence referendum.

The half-hour statement on Wednesday afternoon at 1.30pm will see the first minister "set out a path forward for Scotland amid the ongoing Brexit confusion at Westminster", her spokesman said.

We begin this morning with an evidence session on the education committee's subject choices inquiry.

Image source, Getty Images

In portfolio questions justice and constitutional ministers are in the hot seat today.

The Scottish Green Party will then lead its first debate of the afternoon, on the GP contract.

Image source, Getty Images

The Greens will then call for a Green New Deal for Scotland, arguing it would be a practical way to transform Scotland's economy through jobs in clean, green industries and it would address inequalities.

Finally SNP MSP George Adam will lead a debate marking MS Awareness Week 2019.