Irish second-level students have performed significantly above average in science, according to a respected international league table from the OECD.
The survey shows Irish 15-year-olds are among an elite group and were ranked 15th among 57 countries.
The strong performance of Irish students in science took many educationalists by surprise yesterday. In recent years, concern has been voiced about the low levels of interest in science among Irish students
Concerns have also been raised about the "dumbing down" of academic standards at second-level but the study shows Irish 15-year-olds are performing better than most of their counterparts in other OECD states.
The strong showing is particularly encouraging - given that Irish school children did not study science in primary schools until recently. In most cases, the 15-year-olds surveyed by the OECD in the Republic would have been studying science for only three years.
The survey tested competency in science and the ability to use scientific knowledge to resolve problems in daily life.
Irish students have traditionally performed well in the OECD's so-called PISA survey which tracks the progress of some 400,000 15-year-olds in 57 countries.
Irish students are in the top three OECD states in literacy although their performance in maths has tended to be in the mid-range only. The results of the latest PISA study on literacy and maths will be published next week.
The survey is conducted in countries which control 90 per cent of the world's economy.
Last night, John White of the ASTI said Irish pupils, parents and teachers can feel justifiably proud of their achievement iscience.
It was a remarkable achievement given that the Republic is "close to the bottom of the scale for spending per second-level pupil relative to GNP".
Tim O'Meara of the Teachers' Union of Ireland said "the fantastic job being done by Irish teachers is endorsed by the PISA findings.
Anecdotal evidence, he said, indicates that many schools are ill-equipped in terms of equipment and facilities to provide the interactive methodologies necessary in the teaching study of science subjects.
"We believe the Irish performance would be even more impressive if laboratory technicians were introduced at second level schools," he said.
Overall, Finland once again takes the number one spot in OECD's PISA test of the abilities of a sample of 15-year-old secondary-school students, followed by Hong Kong (China) and Canada in second and third place.
