Rishi Sunak’s ‘maths to 18’ proposals get shredded

The Prime Minister will set out his plan to ensure all pupils in England study some form of maths until aged 18 in his first speech of 2023.

On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak will lay out his priorities and ambitions for the year ahead, which will include a new mission to combat high rates of innumeracy in England.

The UK remains one of the only countries in the world that does not require children to study some form of maths up to the age of 18.

“Right plan”

The PM will say that with the “right plan”, he sees “no reason” why “we cannot rival the best education systems in the world”.

He is expected to say: “This is personal for me. Every opportunity I’ve had in life began with the education I was so fortunate to receive.

“And it’s the single most important reason why I came into politics: to give every child the highest possible standard of education.

“Thanks to the reforms we’ve introduced since 2010, and the hard work of so many excellent teachers, we’ve made incredible progress.

“With the right plan – the right commitment to excellence – I see no reason why we cannot rival the best education systems in the world”.

“More analytical skills”

Sunak is expected to commit to starting the work of introducing maths to 18 in this Parliament and finishing it in the next.

He will put emphasis on the importance of numeracy, stressing “our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills”.

The Prime Minister will say: “One of the biggest changes in mindset we need in education today is to reimagine our approach to numeracy.

“Right now, just half of all 16 to 19-year-olds study any maths at all. Yet in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before.

“And letting our children out into the world without those skills, is letting our children down”.

Reaction

But the proposals have been widely criticised on social media.

Here’s a round-up of what people have had to say:

So relieved to see Sunak prioritising the mathematics crisis…https://t.co/xH4bsVPpPb

— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) January 4, 2023

Rishi Sunak’s proposal of maths until 18 is a dead cat. This is the real scandal. The Conservative government has broken our NHS. Don’t let them get away with it. pic.twitter.com/IMUmldaNiE

— Liz Jarvis (@LizJarvisUK) January 4, 2023

‘Prime Minister, the country is on its knees. The NHS is close to collapse, railways are at a standstill, water companies are pumping shit into rivers, millions can’t afford to feed their children or run a bath. Now that you’ve emerged from hiding, what’s the plan?’

‘Maths.’

— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) January 4, 2023

So @RishiSunak’s big idea to save the nation is maths until the age of 18! How will quadratic equations help to solve broken Britain?

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 4, 2023

You know what?

It's time to stop blaming "the pandemic" and start acknowledging the role that twelve years of systematic underfunding have played in the decline of the NHS. pic.twitter.com/6yLWR85J64

— Kit Yates (@Kit_Yates_Maths) January 4, 2023

the Tories crashed the economy, lost billions, & underfunded the NHS for 13 years causing absolute chaos but it’s *everyone else* who needs to learn more maths pic.twitter.com/STFbVTxTvQ

— Toby Earle 🇺🇦 Threads tobyontv (@TobyonTV) January 4, 2023

Waits of 31 hours for an Ambulance for 82 year old woman on the kitchen floor with a broken pelvis after a fall. The stories are plentiful across the UK . BUT Sunak today wants to talk about maths for 18 year olds. Do your own Maths Sunak !!! https://t.co/IXInEnDC6i

— lucy woods (@LucyWoodslucy70) January 4, 2023

I wasn't very good at maths, I wasn't particularly interested in maths and, at almost 38, I can tell you that my main uses for maths now are dividing a restaurant/bar bill (I'm GREAT at it) and…that's it. There are no benefits to compulsory maths til 18. Sunak is desperate.

— Sooz Kempner (@SoozUK) January 4, 2023

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