Spending on education in the developed world has largely resisted the economic crisis, but children from disadvantaged backgrounds still struggle to access tertiary education in a number of countries, dpa quoted a leading report as saying Tuesday. Public spending on education as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) grew from 5.2 per cent in 2000 to 5.8 per cent in 2009, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in its annual report on education in 34 mostly developed countries. In the United States, the proportion rose from 4.9 per cent to 5.5 per cent, while in Germany the share rose from 4.6 per cent to 5.1 per cent. France was one of the few surveyed countries to register a decrease, with public spending on education in Europe's second-largest economy falling from 6 per cent of GDP in 2000 to 5.9 per cent in 2009. While education spending has weathered the crisis, children from poor families or whose parents have limited education still struggle to access higher education in many countries, the report found. More than 40 per cent of young people whose parents had limited education had not completed high school in the US, Italy, Portugal and Turkey, the survey showed. Fewer than 20 per cent had tertiary qualifications. The OECD stressed the importance of trying to create a level playing field for children at an early age. "Addressing inequality early is key as little can be done to remedy poor outcomes later in school, without compromising the quality of higher education," the Paris-based think-thank said. The report showed tertiary education continuing to have a huge impact on employment prospects and salary levels. A 25-64 year-old man with higher education earned on average 67 per cent more in 2010 than a man with high school education, compared with 58 per cent more in 2008. Women with a tertiary qualification earned on average 59 per cent more than those without higher education, compared to 54 per more in 2008. Men without a third-level education were one-third more likely to be unemployed than those who had been to college. Women in the same situation were 40 per cent more likely to be unemployed.
