Madam, - Michael Casey (August 20th), advocating the return of third-level fees, wrote: "A third-level education is an investment in human capital which yields a very good rate of return in the future". This is absolutely correct and the precise reason why the State ought to increase its public expenditure on education from 4.3 per cent to the OECD average of 7 per cent. If Ireland is serious about building a knowledge-based society, then increased public expenditure on education should be taken as a necessary requirement. More public funding is the answer to our under-resourced education system, not the reintroduction of third-level tuition fees. - Yours, etc,
AIDAN REGAN, Cabra, Dublin.