Ireland has second-highest graduate rate in EU

Almost half of the country's 25 to 34-year-olds have completed third level education, new figures revealed today.

Even though primary pupils are taught in some of Europe's most crammed classes, Ireland still has the second highest graduate rate in the EU.

According to the Central Statistics Office report, Ireland had a 42.3% graduates in the 25-34 age group last year, well above the 30.3% EU average.

The figures also show that 15-year-old students had the second highest levels of reading literacy in the union in 2006.

But despite the positive second and third level statistics, primary level figures showed packed classrooms of 19.4 children to every teacher.