British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants all pupils in England to receive mathematics up to the age of eighteen. The British broadcaster BBC writes in his first speech of the new year.
According to Sunak, “We need to rethink our attitude towards numeracy.” “In a world where data is ubiquitous, and statistics are the basis of many jobs, our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before,” said the prime minister. “To send our children into the world without these skills is to abandon our children.”
About half of the pupils between the ages of sixteen and eighteen still take mathematics in one form or another. In the United Kingdom, taking mathematics until the age of eighteen is currently not compulsory. It is unclear how Sunak intends to teach these skills to other students in courses where mathematics is less critical.
But before Sunak can put his plan into effect, something will have to be done about the severe shortage of math teachers, experts warn. The reactions from the education world to the new plan are mixed.