Education chiefs in Tayside, Fife and the Forth Valley intend to press ahead with the introduction of new Highers in 2014 despite being told they can postpone doing so for a year.
The Scottish Government wants schools to begin the new exams, which are part of the Curriculum for Excellence, at the start of the 2015/15 school year.
However, Education Secretary Mike Russell has agreed to let schools postpone bringing in the new Highers for a year if they do not believe they will be properly prepared to do so by next year.
Both the new and old Highers will run concurrently in 2014/15 which will mean pupils in two neighbouring schools could study the same subject but sit a different exam.
Mr Russell said: “We expect the new Highers will be the best option for our young people when they come on stream, but we recognise there may be some situations where the professional judgment of teachers may lead them to consider other options.”
Dundee and Perth and Kinross councils said they were committed to introducing the new exams in 2014.
Donna Manson, head of service at Fife Council, said schools would introduce the new exams but that not every department may be ready on time.
David Leng, head of education services for Clackmannanshire and Stirling councils, commented: “We will consider the proposals in due course.”
Angus Council did not respond to our request for information.Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, backed the decision to allow schools to delay the introduction of revised Highers.“This is a sensible approach that will enable teachers to use their best judgment in deciding which option is in the best interests of their pupils,” he said.Testing time of changeHigh school education in Scotland has changed dramatically in recent years.
The Scottish Government introduced the Curriculum for Excellence last year, which is designed to create a coherent curriculum that runs right through a child’s school career.
A raft of changes to the exam system have followed in its wake.
Standard Grades, which used to be taken at Foundation, General or Credit level by pupils in S4 after two years of study, were dropped last year.
They have been replaced by new qualifications called Nationals, which can be obtained at levels from one to five.
The top two levels, four and five, roughly correlate to Standard Grades at General and Credit level.
For children in S5 and S6, Highers are also being phased out.
They will be replaced by new Highers, which are tailored to the new Curriculum for Excellence.