Education was at the centre of First Minister's Questions as Alex Salmond faced claims of broken promises on teacher numbers and classroom sizes.

Launching his attack over education policy, Labour's Iain Gray said the SNP manifesto pledged to maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls - but Mr Salmond had failed to do so.

The First Minister replied: "The Scottish Government has delivered the best pupil-teacher ratio in history - not just for this year but for the second successive year.

"That is important in itself but at 13-1 the pupil-teacher ratio in Scotland is significantly better than England at 17, Wales at 18, and Northern Ireland at 17.

"Perhaps Iain Gray should have a word with his colleagues south of the border and get them to emulate the Scottish experience on pupil-teacher ratios."

Mr Gray replied: "This is not a question about England or Wales or Northern Ireland.

"This is a question about a promise made in Scotland to pupils and parents - and the man who promised to maintain teacher numbers is right there.

"He is the one who is breaking that promise."

Many Scottish councils had managed to maintain or increase teacher numbers, and the concordat between central and local government had "enthusiastic" support from councils, Mr Salmond said.

Fiona Hyslop, Education secretary, will investigate with local authorities, why some councils had not managed to get the teacher numbers "that we would all wish to see", Mr Salmond said.

The First Minister said one-fifth of the fall in teacher numbers appeared to be attributable to Glasgow alone.

The exchanges in Holyrood also saw a spat between Mr Salmond and the Labour leader over 19-year-old apprentice Lewis Doig.

Mr Gray raised his case in Holyrood last week, saying he that Mr Doig was about to be made redundant just three weeks before qualifying as a joiner.

On Thursday Mr Salmond said he had written to Mr Gray about the case.

The Labour leader said he had not yet read the letter received minutes previously, and added that he made no apology about "standing up for a young apprentice".

"I am delighted that on Friday he heard he would be able to complete his apprenticeship, and so is his dad who thanked me at the weekend." said Mr Gray.

"But there are dozens in the position Lewis Doig was in last week - an uncertain future - and we need the apprenticeship guarantee made good for all of them."

Mr Salmond replied: "It's not a question of being able to stand up for your constituents – I'm sure every member tries to do that.

"It's simply a question of getting your facts right - as the correspondence will indicate that Iain Gray so palpably failed to do."

In other items of interest during First Minister's Questions:

Mr Salmond said Community safety minister Fergus Ewing will meet Argyll locals in light of the accident on Loch Awe that left two people dead and another two feared dead. He also expressed his "deepest condolences" to the families affected by the accident.

Tory leader for Holyrood Annabel Goldie urged the First Minister to produce "a missing report" on drugs abuse. Miss Goldie said Mr Salmond should publish statistics on drug abuse that were expected 10 months ago.

The First Minister said the needs of youngsters must be identified at the "earliest possible time", after a big rise in suicidal calls to ChildLine. More than 500 children in Scotland phoned the helpline for children last year because they were suicidal, the charity organisation reported this week.