Sir, - While I welcome your support for increased investment in our education system (editorial, October 5th), I must draw your attention to the need to invest in second level as well as primary education.
In spite of what the Government might have us believe, we are actually falling behind our international counterparts in terms of the amount we spend on second level students. The most recent (1995) OECD report found us bottom of 12 European countries, and above only one other among 20 OECD countries in terms of our expenditure on second level students.
If that were not worrying enough. the same report showed we are falling further behind. The 1992 OECD report showed we were spending 60 per cent of the OECD average expended on second level students. However, the 1995 report found we had fallen to below 54 per cent of the average.
The Minister for Finance recently said that he regarded the Department of Education as an investment rather than a spending department. With a Budget surplus of £10 million already, he now has a golden opportunity to move us out of the education relegation zone. - Yours, etc.,
General secretary, ASTI,
ASTI House,
Winetavern Street. Dublin.