Ireland bottom of the class for investment in education

LESS of the country’s wealth is being spent on schools and colleges than a decade ago, a major report reveals.

While the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) report shows government spending on education has grown more than in most developed countries, it is still below average.

The rise in education spending per student between 1995 and 2004 is higher than in most other countries. Spending per student rose by 26% for third level, restricted by an almost 50% rise in student numbers. Per-student spending in primary, second level and further education rose by 81%.

However, from primary schools to third-level colleges, Ireland’s investment of $6,713 (€4,834) per student ranked Ireland 18th out of 34 countries, compared to an OECD average of $7,061.

Teacher unions, whose members’ salaries account for €3 of every €4 spent on education, blamed the Government’s spending record for some of the OECD’s largest class sizes and most under-resourced schools.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) general secretary John White criticised education spending as a proportion of overall wealth, in which Ireland ranks near the bottom.

In 1995, Ireland spent 5.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on education but the OECD reports this was just 4.6% in 2004. The latest figures place us 28th lowest in 30 countries, above only Turkey and Greece. The OECD average was 5.8% of GDP and for the 19 EU countries measured it was 5.4%.

“The report shows that only four out of 27 countries have higher pupil-teacher ratios at second level than Ireland. The Government must use the budget to address the gap between its objectives for education and the provision of funding and resources to achieve them,” Mr White said.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) president Tim O’Meara said the statistics show Ireland languishing deep in the relegation zone of OECD countries in funding terms. “Serious questions must be asked about why education funding has been allowed stagnate,” he said.

Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) general secretary John Carr said: “Half the nation’s children are being educated at primary level on less than one-third of total education spending. Irish pupils remain in the EU’s second most crowded classes and chronic under funding means primary schools must raise funds with raffles, cake sales and charity walks.”