Offaly lagging behind in third level education rates

Offaly is lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to third level education. According to latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as part of the Census 2011 series of results 22 per cent of Offaly's population have a third level qualification, while 17 per cent are college graduates. However the corresponding figure of those with third level qualifications for Leinster as a whole is 33 per cent, and the State average is almost as high at 31 per cent. The news was included in the CSO's latest profile, looking at education and skills in Ireland. The data also contains details of those who speak the Irish language throughout the country. Data collected on Census night in April 2011 shows that just 14 per cent of Offaly males aged 15 and over were graduates. This is worryingly low compared to rates in Leinster and the State as a whole of 26 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. Figures for females are better, but were still below State averages. In Offaly, as per Census 2011 figures, 21 per cent of women aged 15 and over are graduates. In Leinster the corresponding figure is 30 per cent, while in the State as a whole it's 28 per cent. Of Offaly graduates in April 2011, which total 8,203, some 39 per cent were male while the remainder were female. A total of 116 people aged 15 and over in the county were recorded as holding a Doctorate level qualification. The figures also show that some 7,358 people in Offaly - 15 per cent of those whose full time education had ceased - had completed their full time education before the age of 16. The social sciences, business and law category was by far the most popular field of study among all those with post-secondary school qualifications in the county in 2011, with 3,260 persons holding a qualification in these areas. The same areas were also most popular for Leinster and the State as a whole. The data also looked at the use of the Irish language in Ireland. A total of 28,178 people in Offaly - or 39 per cent of the population aged three and over - indicated that they could speak Irish. That's higher than the figure for Leinster - 37 per cent - but slightly lower than the State average of 41 per cent. A total of 596 people in Offaly recorded themselves as speaking Irish on a daily basis outside of the education system in April 2011. That corresponds to 0.8 per cent of the total population of those aged three and over in Offaly. In the State as a whole a total of 1.8 per cent of the population said they spoke Irish on a daily basis outside of the education system.