The Scottish Government classes school leavers working on zero hours contracts as a success – despite Nicola Sturgeon criticising such jobs as exploitative and demeaning, it has emerged.

Figures on the number of school leavers achieving "positive destinations" are used to gauge the success of the education system.

But while the first minister recently said zero hours contracts "demean and exploit" workers, and the SNP's website states: "The SNP will support tough action to end exploitative zero hours contracts," ministers continue to count them when defending the performance of schools and colleges.

In March Education Secretary John Swinney said while 87 per cent of school leavers had gone to positive destinations in 2007, the figure was 93.3 per cent in 2015-6.

Jim Thewliss, general secretary of headteachers' body School Leaders Scotland said the definition of a positive destination used by the government was "woolly", adding: "The parameters of what counts as a positive destination at the moment are so wide and open, you can interpret it in more or less any way you want".

Professor John McKendrick, a child poverty expert at Glasgow Caledonian University, said the Government could not argue that zero hours contracts were bad and then count them as a positive destination: "It says something about ho w this government regards young people - they are paying lip service to young people," he said.

Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has accused Nicola Sturgeon of using zero hours contracts to "hide her failings" in education and skills.

A Government spokeswoman told the Times Educational Supplement (TES) that positive destinations include anyone receiving payment from an employer, or undertaking training in employment. She said it included "all types of employment" but said the government was committed to discouraging the use of "exploitative" zero hours contracts.