EU addresses education divide

The part of the country you live in may be as much a factor in educational prospects as the neighbourhood you are from, as EU research shows there are significantly more college graduates in the south and east.

But regional differences in educational attainment are narrower than in most other European countries.

Days after an OECD report again highlighted Ireland’s relatively strong proportions of third-level graduates, latest statistics suggest a 23% greater chance of having a college education among the population in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

Almost 30% of people aged 15 or over in the south and east have a third-level education, compared to less than 24% of those in the border, midlands and west (BMW).

The south and east region incorporates the six counties of Munster, along with Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow.

But although the EU commission only divided Ireland into two regions, it is the narrowest variation on third-level qualification within any European country.

The 1% of people in the BMW region who live more than an hour’s drive from the nearest university is twice the number in the south and east, although many BMW counties have their own third-level campuses.

Even though 41% of those in the BMW region have no more than a Junior Certificate or equivalent, compared to 34% in the south and east, it too is the lowest regional gap within any EU country.

Ireland also has some of the highest numbers of students at school or college.

Just over 24% of everyone living in either region are attending pre-school, primary, second level or third level up to PhD doctoral level.