British PM Rishi Sunak Wants All Pupils in England Study Maths Until Age 18
The government acknowledges it would not be possible to implement before the next general election, although the prime minister is expected to begin working on the plan in this parliament, the report said. The Association of School and College Leaders, however, said there was a "chronic national shortage of maths teachers" in the UK.
London, January 4: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is looking at plans to ensure all pupils in England study maths in some form until the age of 18, according to a media report on Wednesday. In lines briefed to journalists ahead of his first speech of 2023, the Indian-origin prime minister is expected to say the UK must reimagine its approach to numeracy, the BBC News reported.
"In a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, our children's jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before," he will say. "And letting our children out into the world without those skills, is letting our children down".
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Just half of 16 to 19-year-olds in th UK study maths, according to Sunak - but this figure includes pupils doing science courses and those who are already doing compulsory GCSE resits in college, the report said. Did Rishi Sunak Deliver Video Message on New Year 2023 From Toilet? Edited Footage of UK Prime Minister With Flush Tank in Background Goes Viral.
It is not clear what the plans will mean for students who wish to study humanities or creative arts qualifications, including BTecs and no new qualifications are immediately planned and there are no plans to make A-levels compulsory.
The government is instead exploring expanding existing qualifications as well as "more innovative options", a Downing Street spokesperson said. The idea appears to be an aspiration rather than a fully developed policy, with the precise mechanics for how it would work not set out.
The government acknowledges it would not be possible to implement before the next general election, although the prime minister is expected to begin working on the plan in this parliament, the report said. The Association of School and College Leaders, however, said there was a "chronic national shortage of maths teachers" in the UK.
And Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson called on Sunak to "show his working" on how greater participation in maths will be funded. "He cannot deliver this reheated, empty pledge without more maths teachers, yet the government has missed their target for new maths teachers year after year," she said.
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson, called the aim "an admission of failure from the prime minister on behalf of a Conservative government that has neglected our children's education so badly". "Too many children are being left behind when it comes to maths, and that happens well before they reach 16," she added. UK PM Rishi Sunak Criticised for Asking Homeless Man if He ‘Works in Business,’ Videos Go Viral.
Tory MP Robin Walker, who is chair of the education committee, urged the prime minister to focus on childcare. "It's great to hear the prime minister today committing to maths beyond 16," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "But if we don't get the right approach to stimulating and supporting children early on, they won't have the opportunities to thrive in the school system."
Sunak became prime minister towards the end of a turbulent political year which saw his two predecessors - Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - brought down by Conservative backbenchers. Sunak faces the challenge of keeping his own MPs happy, while dealing with the rising cost of living and strikes in several sectors, including nursing and the rail industry.
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