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Rishi\u00a0Sunak\u00a0has admitted there are not enough teachers to fulfil his plans to boost maths learning, as he failed to say when he will deliver his vision to get everyone studying the subject until adulthood.<\/p>\n
In the second speech to announce his \u201cmaths to 18\u201d policy for England, the prime minister on Monday could not commit to begin rolling out the plans this year.<\/p>\n
Mr\u00a0Sunak, an investment banker before entering politics, insisted he does not want make maths at A-Level compulsory, but said being bad at maths should not be \u201csocially acceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n
Critics have pointed out that the government has cut its recruitment target for maths teachers by 39 per cent since 2020, and has failed to even achieve that.<\/p>\n
Mr\u00a0Sunak\u00a0accepted there aren\u2019t enough teachers to even meet existing requirements \u2013 let alone fulfil his vision for maths \u2013 which he hopes will boost the economy, saying poor numeracy was \u201ccausing us to fall behind the rest of the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn teachers, yes we need [more] already, and we will need more maths teachers, and we know that,\u201d he said at the London Screen Academy in Islington.<\/p>\n
But he conceded the \u201cbig long-term reform\u201d was \u201cnot going to happen overnight\u201d as he faced questions over children\u2019s education being damaged by a failure to end the teachers\u2019 strikes.<\/p>\n
Discussing the policy at a north London college, the PM admitted that despite progress the UK is \u201cone of the least numerate countries in the developed world\u201d.<\/p>\n
He denied this was a failure of just previous Conservative governments as he conceded more than 1 million adults have numeracy skills below those expected of nine-year-olds and a third do not pass maths GCSE.<\/p>\n
Mr\u00a0Sunak\u00a0said teenagers will be made to study maths in \u201csome form\u201d until 18 and said it must be \u201cadditional to other subjects, not instead of them\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me be absolutely clear: I am not saying that the answer is A-Level maths for everyone, but we do need to work out the maths our young people should study,\u201d he said, adding that he wanted to challenge the \u201canti-maths mindset\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rishi Sunak giving a speech on education at London Screen Academy<\/p>\n
(PA)<\/p>\n
The PM announced an expert-led review into how to carry out his plan. The review will look at whether a new\u00a0maths\u00a0qualification will be needed. Mr Sunak also committed to expanding\u00a0teaching maths\u00a0hubs, and introduce a new voluntary and fully funded professional qualification for primary school\u00a0maths\u00a0teachers.<\/p>\n
But Labour criticised the \u201cempty pledge\u201d. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: \u201cOnce again, the prime minister needs to show his working \u2013 he cannot deliver this reheated, empty pledge without more\u00a0maths\u00a0teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Education secretary Gillian Keegan also admitted there were not enough teachers to deliver the plan \u2013 but was unable to say how many more maths teachers she expects will be needed to achieve the government\u2019s policy.<\/p>\n
Asked how many more maths teachers would be needed, she told BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme: \u201cIt depends on what the expert panel say they\u2019re actually going to be learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ed Balls reveals that he is studying for A-Level maths<\/p>\n
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that instead of \u201cre-announcing a vague and poorly thought-out policy\u201d, Mr\u00a0Sunak\u00a0should focus on resolving the pay dispute which has triggered industrial action.<\/p>\n
The union leader added: \u201cIt seems like an attempt to divert attention away from the most pressing matter in education in England which is the industrial dispute triggered by the erosion of teacher pay and conditions and resulting crisis in recruiting and retaining enough staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
The National Education Union (NEU)\u2019s joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: \u201cLet\u2019s not forget that this is a government that has cut its recruitment target for maths teachers by 39 per cent since 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cParents and school staff will be left scratching their heads at this latest announcement from the prime minister. Taken as a whole, the government\u2019s policies on education simply don\u2019t add up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Sunak said critics who said it was wrong to force young people to study maths beyond the age of 16 are \u201ccoming at it the wrong way\u201d. He added: \u201cIt is not about forcing everyone to do maths at A-level, it is about making sure that they study the right form of maths.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Institute of Economic Affairs, the right-wing think tank said \u201cextending compulsory maths education is no silver bullet for economic growth\u201d. adding: \u201cThe Soviet Union was world-renowned for maths and science instruction but that failed to translate into a strong economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
It came as former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls has revealed his is studying for A-level maths having \u201calways regretted\u201d not achieving the qualification at school.<\/p>\n
The ITV Good Morning Britain presenter \u2013 married to shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper \u2013 said his mother-in-law was teaching him and he was finding it \u201creally, really hard\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Rishi\u00a0Sunak\u00a0has admitted there are not enough teachers to fulfil his plans to boost maths learning, as he failed to say when he will deliver his vision to get everyone studying the subject until adulthood. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n