Irish investment in education low, OECD finds

State investment in education as a proportion of gross domestic product is below average compared to more than 40 OECD countries, a new report showed today.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Education at a Glance, Ireland spent 4.6 per cent of GDP on education in 2000, below the OECD average of 5.6 per cent.

The report says although State spending on education increased significantly, it has declined as a proportion of GDP since 1995, when it stood at 5.3 per cent.

It said the "strong growth in GDP in Ireland hides significant increases in spending on educational institutions when spending on education is considered as a proportion of GDP."

However, the OECD notes that although Ireland has a "moderate level of expenditure on education per student at primary and secondary levels, [it is] among the OECD countries with the highest levels of performance by 15-year-old students in key subject areas."

Irish 15-year-olds were ranked fifth out of 19 OECD countries in reading literacy. In Ireland, along with all other OECD countries surveyed, girls were better readers by age 15.

But the report notes that although Ireland joined Australia, New Zealand and Britain with large numbers of students at the highest level of literacy, it also has more than 10 per cent of students performing below the lowest level.

Ireland scores considerably worse in numerical literacy, slipping to 16th compared to the other OECD countries surveyed.

A weakness in mathematical and scientific literacy can have "grave consequences not only on the labour market and earnings prospects of individuals but also on the competitiveness of nations" the report said.

The report also notes that Ireland has a highly educated young population with just under 50 per cent of 25 to 34 year-olds holding a third-level qualification, the second highest rate in the OECD.

The study also revealed that salaries for primary and post primary in Ireland are above the OECD average and the seventh highest of 22 countries surveyed.

Against this most teachers in the State work longer hours. The average OECD teaching time in primary schools is 792 hours per annum. Teachers in Irish primary schools spend an average of 915 hours teaching over the school year.

A similiar pattern appears in secondary schools. Teachers in Irish post-primary schools teach for an average of 735 hours compared to an OECD average of 650 per year.