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Too many people hate mathematics because Rishi Sunak’s plan allows everyone to study and work in mathematics until the age of 18, an expert tells lawmakers.
Presenting evidence before the House Education Choices Committee on Tuesday, a leading figure in the sector warned that the majority of both teachers and students felt “anxious, worried and confused” about math, and some People describe it as ‘the worst thing imaginable’.”
They said the prime minister’s plan to make mathematics compulsory for all students up to age 18 would require major educational reforms and detailed strategies to “address negative attitudes” towards the subject. said it would.
Sir Martin Taylor, Chairman of the Royal Society’s Advisory Board for Mathematics Education, said: , and there are 10% of people who hate math. ”
He suggests that the UK “culturally” despises mathematics, compared to other countries such as France where mathematics is revered “because it is seen as a gateway to success”. bottom.
“I never heard people discuss math in a positive way at a dinner party. But they are happy to say, ‘I hate math’. ”
Niamh Sweeney, deputy secretary-general of the National Education Federation, said about a third of children each year fail to achieve standard grades on the GCSE in mathematics, and that forcing them to study the subject until age 18 does little good. Added.
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“There is a real alienation and withdrawal from mathematics among young people, and it starts much earlier than the GCSE,” she told the committee. Just letting them do it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be fun.”
Sam Sims, chief executive of the charity National Numeracy, added that teachers have similar concerns about math. This means the government will “struggle” to recruit enough staff to teach math to all her students by the age of 18.
He cites a recent survey showing that about a third of trainee teachers said they used negative words such as “nervous, anxious, worried, confused, panicked, stupid, defeated, fearful, or sick.” Explains mathematics.
Sims said the government would need to focus more resources on fully tackling the general apathy for mathematics before rolling out subject expansion within schools.
“When the prime minister announced … I saw a ‘discussion’ on social media about having to do math by the age of 18, that this was the worst thing imaginable,” he said.
“We cannot expect to be able to deal with it overnight. , we will have a hard time.
Miriam Cates, a Conservative MP and member of the Education Select Committee, suggested that teachers’ dislike of mathematics affects students as well.
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“It’s like telling young people that it’s okay to be bad at math. It’s okay to write yourself down and you’ll never need math again,” she said.
Experts also warn that the current recruitment and retention crisis in the education sector could draw in teachers from other subjects to teach mathematics to post-16s. They suggested that this would likely reduce the quality of mathematics education, thus undermining the goal of extending subjects to her 18th birthday.
Sir Martin said: Think about what it will do for your children. They absorb their lack of confidence. I have anxiety. ”
He argued that most teachers would be “wide-eyed” at the plan.
Ms Sweeney suggested that other parts of the curriculum, especially the arts and humanities, would suffer under plans to expand mathematics through age 18.
“We are facing a retention and recruitment crisis. Our history and PE teachers are teaching other subjects and our curricula are narrowing. condensed [for] English and mathematics because there are not enough teachers in the field,” she said.
Sweeny says [maths] “An extra hour a week” will not accomplish anything.
The government has failed to reach its target of recruiting new math teachers each year over the past decade, and that number has fallen to 64% in recent years.
Nearly two-thirds of schools suffering from teacher shortages are forced to bring in non-specialist teachers to teach math classes, according to a report released in November by the National Foundation for Education and Research.
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Kevin Gilmartin, a post-16 and college expert at the Association of School and College Leaders, said when Sunak announced plans to make mathematics compulsory through the final grade of school, the principal said, “It’s actually very difficult. I was disappointed,” he said.
Appearing before the education selection committee on Tuesday, he said the prime minister “has not yet consulted the education ministry about the plan.”
Sunak announced last month that all children in Britain will be taught mathematics by the age of 18. Giving young people more advanced numeracy training, he said, could help them by putting them in a better place for “the data-intensive jobs of the future.” Manage your finances as an adult.
The government has not yet released details on how compulsory mathematics by age 18 will fit into school timetables or whether students will be formally tested in this subject.
The prime minister conceded that the move to make mathematics compulsory until age 18 was unlikely to take place before the next general election scheduled for 2024, but said more details would be revealed in due course. .
Experts told parliamentarians on Tuesday that the government should consider measures including “passport-style” proof of numeracy skills and the European baccalaureate system, rather than integrating mathematics into the current A-level system. .
Mr Sweeney said:
