TEACHER SALARIES in the Republic are among the highest in the world, even though overall spending on the education system here remains very low when compared to other countries.

An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey also found the hours worked by second-level teachers “at school” is significantly below the OECD average.

On spending, the Republic is close to the bottom of an organisation league table ranking overall education spending in relation to wealth or gross domestic product. The State is 27th of 31 countries surveyed.

The review found 71 per cent of education spending was absorbed by teacher salaries, compared to an OECD average of 63 per cent.

In a finding which could hasten the return of college fees, the organisation states that third-level graduates in employment in the Republic earn on average 64 per cent more than those with a Leaving Certificate.

The survey is set to raise questions about the Irish education system. Last year, the State’s literacy ranking among 15 year olds fell from 5th to 19th, the steepest decline among developed nations. It is also classified as average or below in maths and science.

On pay, the report found primary teachers in Ireland “are better paid in absolute terms than teachers in other countries . . . at secondary level. Irish teachers are also better paid than elsewhere.”

Primary teachers’ pay in the Republic is the second highest among 33 countries. Secondary teachers are the third or fourth best paid in the OECD.

The survey – based on 2008 data – does not take account of the public service pay cut (6 per cent) and the cut in pension payments (7 per cent).

The review also indicated the working time for Irish second-level teachers in 2008/9 was significantly below the OECD average. In the Republic second-level teachers are “required at school” for 735 hours per year, compared to an organisation average of more than 1,100 hours.

But the average annual number of teaching hours in Ireland (735) is above the organisation average (679).

The review may help to explain the relatively poor performance of Irish teens in international surveys on maths, science and foreign languages.

In virtually every case the amount of time devoted to these subjects is below the organisation average at primary and second level. In primary schools science accounts for just 4 per cent of teaching time, compared to the organisation average of 9 per cent.

The OECD says a “near negligible amount” of time is devoted to modern foreign languages in the Republic, compared to other EU states where it accounts for 9 per cent of instruction time.

By contrast, 10 per cent of compulsory teaching time was devoted to religion in the Republic, the second highest (after Israel) among the countries surveyed.

Other main findings of the OECD review include:

- Forty-two per cent of Irish teens reported that they never read for enjoyment. This compares to an organisation average of 37 per cent;

- The staff/student ratio in higher education (14.3 students per member of staff) is the 17th highest of 24 states surveyed; The annual instruction time given to primary school children is above the organisation average.