THE UK must end its “anti-maths mindset” to help grow the economy, Rishi Sunak said on Monday.
This comes as experts at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted the UK is on track to be the worst-performing economy in the G7 this year.
In a speech at a north London college, Sunak set out plans for an expert-led review into ensuring all pupils in England study some form of maths up to the age of 18, without making maths A-Level compulsory.
Sunak said children risk being “shut out” of the lives they would wish to lead because of an “anti-maths mindset”. He said “even just basic numeracy skills” could increase earnings by around £1600 a year.
READ MORE: UK to be worst-performing G7 economy despite IMF upgrade
He added: “Put simply, without a solid foundation in maths our children risk being left behind, shut out of careers they aspire to and the lives that they want to lead.”
Discussing the policy, the Prime Minister admitted that even despite progress the UK is “one of the least numerate countries in the developed world”.
Sunak denied this was a failure of previous Conservative governments as he conceded more than one million adults have numeracy skills below those expected of nine-year-olds and a third do not pass maths GCSE.
Critics accused Sunak of rehashing his ambition to distract from an ongoing pay dispute which will see teachers walk out again later this month.
Teachers and education experts have also warned the policy does not address major problems in the wider education system, including the already severe shortage of maths teachers.
Sunak accepted there are not enough maths teachers to even meet existing requirements, let alone fulfil his vision.
Sunak was warned that the pending teaching strikes are the most imminent issue he must tackle to improve education with walkouts set for later this month.
He insisted he has “worked really hard” to give a “reasonable and fair settlement”, which he said represents an 8% increase for most teachers.
Labour criticised the “empty pledge”, with shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson saying: “Once again, the Prime Minister needs to show his working: he cannot deliver this reheated, empty pledge without more maths teachers.
“But after 13 years of failing our children, the Tory government repeatedly misses their target for new maths teachers, with maths attainment gaps widening and existing teachers leaving in their droves.”
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