Dundee has recorded the second highest uptake in a scheme that pays pupils to stay on at school.

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMAs) provide pupils from low- income families with up to £30 a week if they choose to stay on at school beyond the compulsory age of 16.

It aims to encourage pupils to stay on at school who would otherwise leave for domestic reasons.

Since the introduction of the scheme in Dundee, £697,535 has been spent in the city, including pupil payments, bonus payments and administration costs.

A further £35,000 was spent in each local authority area to set up the initiative.

It has also proved popular with pupils in Fife with £644,465 paid out, while there was less of an uptake in Perth and Kinross where £179,075 was spent.

Angus had an expenditure of £165,640.

Glasgow distributed by far the largest amount with £2,726,242 laid out.

The scheme was piloted in Dundee, East Ayrshire, Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire before being extended across Scotland in August last year.

The figures come after the Scottish Executive announced last month that the introduction of EMAs in pilot areas has dramatically improved academic performance.

The attainment of national qualifications in the two years above S4 has risen substantially.

Children from households of an income less than £19,630 a year are entitled to £30 a week under the scheme.

Those from households with an income up to £24,030 receive £20 per week, while £10 a week is given to children from households where the annual income is less than £30,000.

Pupils can also receive two bonuses of £150 if they satisfy targets set in their learning agreements.

The Scottish Executive has pledged £108 million over three years to fund the EMAs in Scotland as well as the final year of the pilots.