Irish pupils are performing strongly compared to students elsewhere, but the numbers going into advanced third-level courses remains low by international standards, new statistics show.
Pupils here are performing strongly in science and maths, achieving higher scores than students from the US, England and Scotland. This is despite crowded classrooms, particularly at primary level, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report.
The report notes that classroom ratios are worse only in New Zealand. The figure of almost 23:1 pupils/teacher is exceeded only by New Zealand with 25:1. According to the OECD, the ratio at second level is just over 16:1 which is slightly above the average for all states. The figures are based on returns for 1998 and the ratios may have changed since the report was compiled.
The Republic is now the second-largest producer of computer graduates among OECD members. Almost 6 per cent of all third-level students graduate in this area.
While the focus on computers is notable, the statistics show that only 28 per cent of Irish students enter a degree course, compared to the average for advanced economies of 40 per cent.
While the Republic still lags behind many states in relation to third-level participation, it is catching up rapidly with a 56 per cent increase in enrolment in higher education between 1990 and 1996. This increase was the second-highest among the 29 states that make up the OECD.
The OECD reports on the performance of primary and second-level pupils in science and maths because the organisation perceives them as vital to the development a modern economy. Its report, Education at a Glance, looked at the performance of 10- and 14-year-olds in Irish schools in maths. It found that among 10-year-olds Irish pupils finished seventh among the 29 states.
However, among 14-year-olds Irish pupils slipped to 11th, although they were still ahead of their counterparts in Belgium, Denmark, the US, England and Scotland. In science the 14-year-olds finished ninth out of 20 OECD members. The 10-year-olds were placed 10th out of the 20 states surveyed.
In the education profile of the whole population, the Republic continues to lag behind other states in the OECD. For example, almost 50 per cent of people between the ages of 25 and 64 have not completed upper secondary education. This compares with 40 per cent in Britain.
One of the most alarming statistics in the report is the level of absenteeism in Irish schools. Over 7 per cent of Irish pupils are absent on a typical day, according to the OECD. This is the third-highest rate, beaten only by Scotland and the Czech Republic.
While the Government will take heart from the progress being made in third-level participation rates and the performance of Irish students in key subjects such as maths and science, the figures relating to the pupil/teacher ratio are not as positive.
The report also confirms that teachers' salaries in the Republic are among the best in the OECD. The average salary in the Republic after 15 years' experience is $35,771 according to the OECD and this places the teaching force here ninth out of the 29 economies in the organisation. The starting salary for a teacher here is $22,216, according to the OECD, the seventh highest of the 29 members.
The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, said last night the data included in the latest OECD education statistics reflected "very well on the ongoing development of the Irish education system".
He said it showed that two thirds of those who enrolled at university level got at least a primary degree.