Ireland one of lowest spenders on education - OECD

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has defended levels of spending on education following the publication of a new OECD report that indicates Ireland is one of the lowest spenders among member states.

According to the Education at a Glancestudy, just 4.4 per cent of the State's GDP was spent on education in 2003.

However, Ms Hanafin said today that there had been "significant advances" in Ireland's performance on a number of fronts over the past three years that are not reflected in the study.

The Minister said that total expenditure by the Department of Education and Science has increased from 4.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent of gross national income between 2003 and 2005 due to a 23 per cent increase in overall spending.

She added it is estimated that per student current expenditure has increased in real terms by 6 per cent at primary and 11 per cent at second level since 2003.

"What is very clear from the latest information available is that resources have increased dramatically in the past five years," said Ms Hanafin. "However, it is too simplistic to just say that increasing spending will result in better outcomes as evidenced by the fact that certain countries with a greater percentage of GDP spend on education do not have better educational outcomes.

"What we all wish to see is the resources targeted towards education being used to best advantage at all levels. The report provides further evidence of the hard work and dedication of all the partners in Irish education who see the value of our education system on a daily basis for the students they serve."

However, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (Asti) said that the publication of the report showed Ireland was 29th out of 30 when it comes to spending on second level education.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that after a decade of phenomenal economic growth we are trailing behind all OECD countries, with the exception of the Slovak Republic, when it comes to the proportion of our wealth which we spend on educating our young people," said Asti General Secretary John White.

"This underfunding of education cannot continue. The Government must take significant action to redress the situation in the forthcoming budget. Otherwise we are putting in jeopardy our continued economic success as well as the future life chances of our young people," added Mr White.

The OECD study also showed Ireland failing when it comes to adult education. Ireland ranks 17th out of 22 countries in the amount of job-related training that adult workers can expect to get during their working lives.

"In four OECD countries - Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United States - more than 35 per cent of the population between 25 and 64 years participate in some form of job-related continuing education and training. In Ireland the corresponding figure is 11 per cent," said Senator Joanna Tuffy, the Labour Party Seanad spokesperson on education.

"The UK, whose education system we often judge as inferior to ours, has twice Ireland's level of job-related training," she said.

"If government and employers, particularly indigenous industry, are serious about developing, maintaining and growing knowledge-based employment, they will have to deal with the knowledge and skills of our existing workforce. This is the clear message sent out by the OECD findings."

Aontas, the Irish National Association of Adult Education, called for the introduction of paid education leave

"Because Irish employees aren't engaging in education and training opportunities at the same rate as their counterparts in other countries, we are in danger of losing our competitive edge," said Aontas director Bernie Brady.

"High-powered companies want highly skilled employees. And if they can't find those employees in Ireland the danger is they will move elsewhere".

Ms Brady said a major incentive for workers to engage in education and training would be the introduction of paid educational leave.

"Ireland is one of the only countries in the former EU 15, where paid educational leave is not a statutory entitlement," said Ms Brady.