Until last week when the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Willie O'Dea, announced that literacy tests for primary school children were being considered, many educators believed that a major issue, highlighted by a recent OECD report on adult literacy in Ireland, was being swept under the carpet.

Literacy tests are unnecessary, argues Dr Kathleen Lynch, co-ordinator of UCD's Equality Studies Centre. Information on reading levels is available in Irish schools, she says, but it's difficult to access. "There needs to be more honesty and openness about the limitations of our education system," she says. "Literacy needs to become a public issue and needs to be debated publicly."

The adult literacy survey shows that 17 per cent of adults aged between 16 and 25 years have extremely poor literacy skills. As a result, says Dr Mark Morgan of St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin, who co-authored the report, it's safe to assume that a similar number of youngsters are leaving school every year with low-level reading abilities. The report highlights "the need for a comprehensive approach to ensure children leaving primary school are adequately equipped with basic literacy skills."

Second-level teachers will tell you that in some schools up to one-third of pupils transfer from first-level with poor reading skills. Every school which admits children with mixed abilities takes in a number of children who are unable to read, they say.

"Every year I get a handful of children with reading age deficits of between four and six years," says a Dublin principal, adding that deficits of two-and-a-half years are classed as remedial. "What sort of system is it that allows children to move on to second level with such huge deficits?" he asks.

Morgan points out that, when asked how many children have literacy problems at the end of primary school, teachers put the figure at six or seven per cent. "But," he says, "they are picking children with the most fundamental problems." The literacy goal posts have moved in recent years, he notes. Time was, if you could write your name you were regarded as being literate. Nowadays literacy is about more than just spelling - people need both literacy and comprehension skills. "What was adequate a few years ago is no longer adequate today," he stresses.

Lynch argues that a major problem with our primary education system is that it relies heavily on homework. "Where homework is a core part of teaching, children whose parents have low literacy skills are at a disadvantage," she says. "The system assumes that learning goes on at home - it's a vicious circle and nobody is addressing it."

Similarly, she argues, we don't know how effective the system of remedial teaching is. "It's never been monitored, but it should be and the information should be publicly available."

Second-level programmes are based on people being able to read. Students arriving with poor literacy skills find that they are unable to read their textbooks. "The textbooks are too advanced for them," says Morgan, "and, as a result, they often have major problems with subjects such as history, geography and science." Youngsters who fail to learn to read are more likely to drop out of school.

The report also shows that early school-leavers are more likely to be unemployed and less likely to participate in social and leisure activities, including cinema, theatre, concerts, sporting events and community/voluntary activities. They are also far less likely to participate in adult education.

"Literacy problems are not getting worse," comments Lynch, "but they are on going. We need a massive investment in resources to ensure that every child meets the required standard."