A third of Dundee parents are unwittingly contributing to a cycle of failure in some city schools.
The startling revelation has been made as part of a major study into the city’s struggle with poverty.
It reveals that parents’ efforts to move children into some of the city’s finest schools could be crippling the prospects of those at less popular institutions.
A third of city children now attend schools outwith their catchment area.
Several schools are struggling to change negative perceptions amid plummeting pupil rolls and stagnant exam results.
As a result, it is feared manyyoungsters unable to make a switch are struggling to secure educations capable of offering them genuine prospects for working lives outside the classroom.
Over the coming months, the city’s Fairness Commission will be working to address the looming crisis.
Education convener Stewart Hunter made it clear that it was every parent’s right to request their child is sent to a particular school, as long as there was space.
But the SNP councillor also insisted that every school in the city could provide top-quality education for children.
The council’s head of secondaryeducation, Paul Clancy, told the city’s Fairness Commission that the issue of parental preference was a problem.
He said: “One in three Dundeechildren attend a school that is outwith their catchment area because they think they will get a better educationelsewhere.
“Generally they move towards the West End and Broughty Ferry.
“There tends to be a wedge in themiddle of the city because of parental choice. I’m not decrying it but it is a fact we have to deal with.”
Mr Hunter said he was working hard to change perceptions about less well thought of schools in the city through additional investment.
He told The Courier: “First andforemost, parents have a right to send their kids where they want.
“If there’s a place, we have to accept their application.
“That being said, every school in the city is a good school, with hard working staff. I’d be more than happy to send my children to any school in the city.”
Mr Hunter said one of the reasons parents choose particular schools is based on their reading of exam results but the education convener said that does not often tell the whole picture.
“It is unfortunate that some parents just look at exam results, which causes a self-perpetuating circle,” he said.
“If parents chose these schools it would increase the roll which wouldbetter exam results.”
Mr Hunter pointed to the example of Menzieshill High School, which isclosing, as a case in point.
The school had more than 150 pupils in its catchment area that chose instead to go to Harris Academy.
However, the SNP educationconvener said the council is working hard to make schools outwith the West End and Broughty Ferry more attractive to parents and pupils.
He said: “In the last few years, we’ve made real efforts to improve thetransition from primary to secondary.
“You now start working on thetransition in P6 and that’s something I think you’d not fully benefit from if you went to a different secondary.”