Mature students in Ireland are taking up third-level education at a rate that is the lowest in the OECD. Ireland's rate is higher only than that of the Philippines.
Philip Madden, president of the Union of Students in Ireland, says there should be quotas for mature students to encourage more to go on to third level.
"In many European countries the average age of new entrants to third level is 21 or even 22 years of age, reflecting a far greater number of mature entrants. "However, in Ireland the average is just 18-and-a-half. This is the lowest of any OECD country and in the whole world the only country to be lower is the Philippines," Madden says.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Ireland has the lowest age of entry to third-level education.
On the bright side, the report ranks Ireland fourth in the table for the percentage of university students who complete their primary degree. The Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods, welcomed the OECD 2000 report, Education at a Glance.
"The data and analysis prepared by OECD on 29 member countries reflects very well on the ongoing development of the Irish education system and will make an important contribution to future policy innovation and development," he said.
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