Ireland East MEP Nessa Childers pointed to the new OECD report as proof that Ireland is helping to "educate its way out of the crisis", with Irish indicators near to or at the top of many EU education charts.
Speaking from the European Parliament, Ms Childers said: "This report clearly shows how Ireland is punching above its weight in education and leading the way in both Europe and the OECD. These results come from a strong shift towards education which has grown in Ireland over the last generation or two, with the 48 per cent rate of Irish young people holding a university degree particularly astounding.
"With youth unemployment in Ireland over 20 per cent, but still under 10 per cent for those with a degree, it’s no wonder so many young people are making an effort to stay in education,” she said.
"This report shows that Ireland is doing well on the percentage of people who complete second level and go on to third level. The challenges for Ireland are to improve literacy and numeracy, and make third level accessible to all levels of society, as too few people from disadvantaged areas are ever able to make it to third level."
Ms Childers also pointed to the benefits of education for Irish women outlined in the report: "This report also clearly shows the benefits of third-level education for women in post-boom Ireland. With Ireland as 1 of just 5 European countries where women stand to reap as much financial reward from education as men, and with the average return for a third level degree in Ireland put at 110,000 euro over a working life, the benefits are obvious for any woman in two minds about going back into education.
"Irish women will also have a 40 per cent better chance of getting a job if they have third-level qualifications, and stand to earn 80 per cent more with a degree than without, so any woman with the opportunity to go back into education should strongly consider that possibility on the back of this report.”
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: "The report provides invaluable evidence and data for policy-makers. Its findings underline the importance of our Europe 2020 targets to reduce early school leaving and boost university education, both in terms of increasing graduate numbers and quality. 35 per cent of jobs in the EU will require high-level qualifications by 2020, so it’s vital that we continue to invest properly in schools and universities. Education must remain a top priority for the EU, even in a tough economic climate."
