Scotland's new Education Secretary has called on the SNP's critics to stop making a "crisis out of a problem".

Mike Russell was officially appointed on Thursday morning, just minutes before he faced his first test in the chamber. He was called on to defend the Government's record on education after the Liberal Democrats called a debate on the SNP's "failures".

The party had threatened to table a motion of no-confidence in Mr Russell's predecessor Fiona Hyslop. However, she was axed on Tuesday and replaced by Mr Russell.

He was then called upon to face the chamber as opposition MSPs hit out at the SNP over the loss of 1,300 teaching posts in a year and the failure to meet pledges on class sizes.

Mr Russell conceded that things are not "hunky dory", but used his first debate to try and bring parties together behind intended reforms.

He said: "The ambition is to have that world-beating education service that draws together pre-school, schools, colleges and universities, with a commitment to keep moving to achieve the highest standards - and always to achieve the highest standards for those who are within it.

"Now of course there is still work to do, but I think it's deeply irresponsible for politicians to make a crisis out of a problem because using that language debases the work of all the thousands of professionals.

"The evidence tells us that this has been a year of successful achievement by pupils and teachers."

Entries to higher and advanced higher classes were up this year and pass rates at those levels are at a "record high", he said.

Liberal Democrat Margaret Smith told Mr Russell that the Nationalists made promises on education at the last election which "they knew they couldn't keep".

She said recent months have seen the SNP Government claim they don't employ teachers and don't  deliver services and "can't be held responsible" for any shortfalls.

However, Ms Smith said: "They said they would do it. They said they would deliver - on class sizes, on maintaining teacher numbers, on school buildings, on student debt. They centralised the policy and when that didn't work, they localised the blame."

Labour education spokesman Des McNulty said action was needed to stop new teachers "drifting away".

He said Labour shared the aspiration to "make progress" on cutting class sizes, but added: "Nearly all the progress that has been made on class sizes in the last 10 years was made under Labour ministers.

"But class sizes should not be the touchstone against which success or failure is judged."

Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser told MSPs that failures in education policy were not the responsibility of Ms Hyslop alone but the entire Government.

He said: "It was the concordat negotiated by Fiona Hyslop's cabinet colleagues that left her without the tools to deliver the wholly unrealistic manifesto pledges."

He said the policy on class sizes was "unachievable", the SNP was falling down on delivering new school buildings and teacher numbers were falling despite promises to maintain them

Mr Russell, who previously had responsibility for culture, constitutional matters and external affairs, said he had been given "warmer welcomes".

He also congratulated Ms Hyslop - who now takes on the culture brief - for her record in education.