Press Statement

Preasráiteas

19 August 2020

Go to release: Ireland's UN SDGs 2019 - Report on Indicators for Goal 4 Quality Education

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (19 August 2020) published ‘Ireland's UN SDGs 2019 - Report on Indicators for Goal 4 Quality Education’. This report is the fourth in a series of CSO publications which will monitor how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Previous reports published in the UN SDG series were ‘Goal 1 No Poverty’; ‘Goal 2 Zero Hunger’; and 'Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being’.

Commenting on the publication, Kevin McCormack, Senior Statistician, said:

‘Goal 4 Quality Education’ reports data for Ireland in 11 Indicators divided into 3 main chapters: Childhood Education, Adult Education and Education Infrastructure. 

Data is disaggregated in categories such as gender, age group, vulnerable groups and geographical location, where possible. The SDGs and their associated indicators are, by design, wide-ranging in their coverage. As a result, the Irish data need to be provided from a number of sources in addition to Government Departments and Organisations, such as International Organisations. A brief overview of the Irish Education System is also included in the report'.

The 17 UN SDGs are a set of global development targets adopted by the United Nations (UN) member countries in September 2015 to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.  The UN SDGs are driving the global development agenda towards 2030 (Agenda 2030). They address global challenges including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The CSO has a central role in the identification, management, and presentation of the data needed to meet the requirements of the UN SDG Indicators.

In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15 year olds in reading literacy, science and mathematics, showed 88% of students in reading, and 84% in maths were proficient in Level 2 or higher. Almost 34% of 4 year olds and 97% of 5 year olds were enrolled fulltime in primary school in 2015, according to the Department of Education. Analysis of first year students enrolled in post primary school in 2012 showed 91.5% sat their Leaving Certificate in 2018. The CSO’s survey on the 'Impact of COVID-19 on ICT usage by households' showed that almost all individuals aged 16-44 years used the internet in the first 3 months of 2020, compared with 45% of those aged 75 years and older. In Dublin, 57% of adults aged 25-64 years had a third level educational qualification compared with 36% in the Midlands, in 2019. Information on all 11 UN SDG indicators in Goal 4 ‘Quality Education’ is presented in the report.  

-- ENDS --