The Scottish Conservative interim leader says only in the first minister's world can the biggest fall in standards since 2003 be stability.

Mr Carlaw says after these Pisa results all we've heard is denial.

How is your government going to get on top of this when it simply refuses to accept the fact?, he says.

The first minister says she is quoting expert statisticians when she says maths and science are stable.

Ms Sturgeon cites a range of measures the government is taking to ensure there is an improvement in these subjects, as there has been in reading.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland has been given a mixed report in an important piece of international research on education.

The Pisa report, external measures the performance of 600,000 15-year-olds worldwide.

Since the last report, Scotland's performance in reading has improved but it declined in maths and science.

Education Secretary John Swinney welcomed the improvement in reading but said there were still challenges in science and maths.

Pisa tests: UK rises in international school rankings

Image source, bbc

Mr Carlaw says the simple answer was no, they have never been lower.

The drop in performance in science is the biggest seen since 2003, he states.

Ms Sturgeon says she is not saying the drop in science is acceptable in any way, shape or form.

But we are bringing forward interventions that will lead to similar improvements in science that we have seen in literacy, she insists.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

The latest Pisa figures do not make for a repeat of the grim reading of last time but it is hard to find them cheerful. The best which might be said is that there are signs of recovery and stability.

Reading performance has improved - but still lags below the level it was at in surveys before 2016.

The headline scores in maths and science continued to decline, albeit by small amounts. Government statisticians see this as a broadly stable performance because of the so-called "confidence intervals" in the data.

Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw asks if the Pisa performance of Scotland's education has ever been lower.

Scotland has been given a mixed report in the important piece of international research on education.

Since the last report, Scotland's performance in reading has improved but it declined in maths and science

Ms Sturgeon argues the picture is stable but adds that is not good enough in her view.

The first minister wants to see improvement as there has been in reading.

Image source, BBC/PA

Nicola Sturgeon will now be quizzed by opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs during first minister's questions.

Image source, bbc/Getty Images/PA

Read the full list of questions here., external

11:40 am: General Questions

12 pm: First Minister's Questions: extensive coverage from noon

12.45 pm: Members’ Business:Claire Baker – SCAN Art in Action Campaign

2:30 pm: Portfolio Questions: Finance, economy and fair Work ministers this time

2.50-5 pm: Scottish Government Debate: Disability Sport and Participation

MSPs continue to take evidence on the failed IT project, after auditors criticised Scotland's public sector pension body over a failed IT project which cost millions and "considerably set back planning".

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) runs retirement plans for over half a million public sector workers.

Image source, bbc

It spent more than £6m on a new IT system which the chosen supplier, Capita, was not able to deliver.

Audit Scotland said the SPPA had not applied enough scrutiny to Capita's bid and now had a £23m gap in its budgets.

• Read the full Audit Scotland report here, external
• Read more here

Image source, bbc

Alyson Stafford insists the chief executive of the pensions agency had the expertise to make the decision overall.

She insists the contract was thoroughly probed.

Jenny Marra asks what would happen now.

I don't think this tender would have go to the stage that it did now, says the permanent secretary.

Image source, bbc

Convener Jenny Mara says: "Forgive me, but I'm really confused by some of these answers."

The SPPA was told it needed to ask more questions so the chief executive could never have been under the impression he tested things to destruction, Ms Marra argues.

Leslie Evans says in the context of regulations and procurement processes, the investigations the chief executive undertook were not required.

Now they would be because the regulations have changed, she states.

The convener says the legal department told the SPPA that these tests were required.

Gordon Wales says the legal department suggested asking further questions, it did not tell or dictate that it should do so.

Ms Marra highlights the auditor general's report said the legal department recommended the chief executive "should" ask further questions, but the witnesses say it is their understanding the chief exec was told he "could" ask further questions.

The permanent secretary says Capita was experienced and the bid was tested robustly.

She accepts there are issues on software, but adds there are also a contractual compliance issue too which must not be forgotten.

Convener Jenny Marra says the permanent secretary seems to be suggesting the tender was probed, but the auditor general's report suggested SPPA did not have skills to further probe the tender, which indicates no further probing was done.

Ms Evans says the tender was probed by the SPPA and if they needed support they could have asked the Scottish government.

She says she is not sure whether or not the SPPA did come to the government.

Image source, bbc

Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans says Capita failed to deliver any of the projects milestones.

Ms Evans insists the Scottish government has put in place more robust systems for IT projects.

She says there has been no risk to pensions paid by the agency.

Image source, Getty Images

Auditors criticised Scotland's public sector pension body over a failed IT project which cost millions and "considerably set back planning".

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) runs retirement plans for over half a million public sector workers.

It spent more than £6m on a new IT system which the chosen supplier, Capita, was not able to deliver.

Audit Scotland said the SPPA had not applied enough scrutiny to Capita's bid and now had a £23m gap in its budgets.

• Read the full Audit Scotland report here, external
• Read more here