Grade Inflation is Worrying
Minister Batt O’Keeffe is correct to respond to concerns that about ‘grade inflation’ in university and Leaving Certificate results. I raised this matter in the Dáil before Christmas with the Minister and at the time he expressed no concerns about reports of grade inflation.
I am glad to see that he has changed his opinion on the matter. There is a lot of rhetoric from the government about developing a ‘knowledge economy’, but the reality is that our education system has never been so underfunded and in need of overdue reform. Grade inflation is merely a symptom of a wider problem in our education system.
Ireland ranks 30th out of 34 countries in terms of education expenditure as a percentage of GDP, according to a recent OECD report. We need to move towards a consensus on education expenditure, even during the current economic difficulties. The Labour Party is of the view that 7.0% of GDP should be spent on education over the coming years.
Our education system has not been helped by recent budgets, which have cut supports for our students. It is alarming when some of the largest employers in this country are concerned about the quality of our education system.
Dr. Craig Barrett was responsible for bringing Intel to Ireland. If we are to create an export-driven economy, we need to take action now so we can compete with well educated workforces in other countries in the future.
