Alison Healy
Ireland had the fifth-highest ratio of pupils to teachers at primary level in the EU in 2002/2003, according to the report.
The study found there were 18.7 pupils to every primary school teacher at that time. This compared with fewer than 11 pupils per teacher in Hungary, Denmark, Luxembourg and Italy.
The average primary class size in Ireland at that time was 24 children, the biggest class size for countries that provided figures. Figures were not available for Belgium, Finland, Sweden or the UK.
The country with the smallest class size was Lithuania - just over 15 children per class, followed by Luxembourg at 15.7.
Ireland's spending on education as a percentage of GDP was fourth-lowest in the 25 EU states in 2003, according to the report. Only Spain, Greece and Luxembourg spent less public money on education.
However, expenditure per student increased by more than 77 per cent for primary-level students and nearly 54 per cent for second-level students between 1995 and 2004. The corresponding increase at third level was just 5.4 per cent.
This contrast is explained by the falling numbers of students at primary and second level and the increase in third-level student numbers of more than 50 per cent.
The study also found that Ireland had the second-highest reading literacy - after Finland - for 15-year-olds in EU countries where statistics were available. This State was also above the OECD average in mathematical and scientific literacy.
Girls performed much better than boys in reading literacy tests in 2003, while boys performed better on mathematical literacy.
Ireland had the fourth-highest percentage of people with third-level education in the EU last year.
Almost 40 per cent of 25-34-year-olds had third-level education compared with an EU average of 28.5 per cent. Only Belgium, Spain and Cyprus had higher levels of participation.
EU candidate Romania had the lowest third-level participation, at 12.9 per cent of young adults.
The report shows that women are still more likely to remain in education than men. The proportion of women aged 25-34 in third-level education increased from 27.5 per cent in 1999 to 43.7 per cent in 2005. The rate for men rose from 26.7 per cent to 34.9 per cent at the same time.
Early school leavers represented 12.3 per cent of the 18-24 age group in 2005, compared with an EU average of 14.9 per cent.