Rishi Sunak is trying to change UK’s anti-maths mindset. The PM is setting up a review of maths and insists it is ‘as essential as reading.’ He believes a failure in getting better in maths could be detrimental to the nation’s economy.
Rishi Suank against anti-maths mindset
UK PM Rishi Sunak stressed the ‘anti-maths mindset’ is holding back the economy as he announced the review of the subject. The group of advisors including education leaders, business representatives, and mathematicians will be examining the “core maths content” being taught. Additionally, it will consider the need for a new maths qualification. In a speech, the PM blamed the anti-maths “cultural sense that it’s OK to be bad at maths” for the shortage of skills in other sectors.
He also stressed the need for all school pupils to study some form of the subject until the age of 18. “If we are going to grow the economy not just over the next two years, but the next 20, we simply cannot allow poor numeracy to cost our economy tens of billions a year or to leave people twice as likely to be unemployed as those with competent numeracy.,” he stated. “We have to fundamentally change our education system so it gives our young people the knowledge and skills they need. And that our businesses need – to compete with the best in the world,” he added.
The opposition parties are attacking the government’s recruiting records of math teachers. The Labor pointed out the repeated misses in math teacher recruitment targets. “The prime minister needs to show his work. He cannot deliver this reheated. Empty pledge without more maths teachers” stated Bridget Phillipson. Phillispon is UK’s shadow education secretary.
Real-world math teacher situation
Recently, experts revealed 12 percent of secondary school education in England is taught by someone who has not studied any more than A-levels. Moreover, targets for recruiting new trainee teachers have not been met for over a decade. Sunak stated he accepted more teachers for the subject will help deliver his pledges. However, he stated this was “not going to happen overnight.” Almost 33 percent of 16year olds in England fail GCSE maths and face compulsory resists in college. The pass rate for resists is just one in five.
The new committee will be reporting back with their recommendations to help improve the maths curriculum around July. Later this year they will also come up with a delivery plan. Dr. Mary Bousted stated PM Sunak’s anti-maths attack plan was “laudable.” However, she warned would be “thwarted unless he faces up to the reality of the state of education in England.” Dr. Bousted is the joint general secretary of the National Education Union. There is a “crisis of teacher retention as a result of low pay and excessive workload,” she added. She also called on the government for an explanation on recruiting more teachers.