Minister O'Keeffe welcomes latest OECD report on Education [DES P.R.]
- Published: 08 September 2009
Ireland performing well in comparison to other member countries- Minister O'Keeffe
The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD today welcomed the latest OECD report Education at a Glance Indicators which sets out the position in relation to education systems across 30 OECD member countries as well as a number of partner countries
The report also sets the position of education in Ireland in a global context.
It shows that on many outcomes, students in Ireland are performing very well.
- Continuing improvements over time in completion of senior cycle - 83pc of 25-34 year olds, here, had completed upper secondary education compared to 79pc across the OECD.
- High rates of third level completion among the 25-34 year olds - 44pc compared to the OECD average at 34pc
- Above average graduation rates in Science and Technology (the number of third level graduates per 100,000 of population aged 25-34 in employment was the seventh highest of any OECD)
- Above average performance at age 15 in Science according to the OECD Programme for International Assessment (PISA)
- Matching the improvements in outcomes, expenditure on education has been rising very significantly in recent years.Between 2000 and 2006, total spending increased in real terms, in Ireland, by 59pc for all levels of education combined below higher level. This compares with an OECD average figure of 21pc.
- Since 2006 - the latest year's data available internationally - spending by my Department has increased by 18pc between 2006 and 2008 (in nominal terms).In 2008 €9 billion was spent on education - up from €7.7 billion in 2006 and €3.1 billion in 1997
- Looking to the future the challenge remains to make provision for rising numbers of students - especially at Primary level where it is noted by OECD that (EAG2009: P14): -not all countries are expecting falling school enrolments - in Ireland, Spain and the partner country Israel, the 5-14 year-old population is set to rise by more than 15pc by 2015 (Indicator B2)
