Mancunians have reacted after the Prime Minister has said all pupils will study maths until they are 18 years old.
Rishi Sunak 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 (January 4). He 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.
Commenting on the Manchester Evening News' Facebook page, Mancunians have had their say on the change. Some have slammed it as 'ridiculous' while others reckon Mr Sunak's priorities should lie elsewhere - while some questioned the practicality of hiring more maths teachers to take on the fear.
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Angela Smith said: "Sounds a good idea , but he needs to look at other areas which need addressing ,which should be top of the list, eg more help & support money put into mental health, the list is endless." Louise Bamber added: "Maybe they need to make maths more useful for older children, learning how to manage finances, tax, banking, budgeting etc.. instead of algebra and trigonometry".
Ana Cristina Viezzi Violato agreed, writing: "Kids should be taught finances, so they can learn how to manage money, work, family, health and social when adults."
Stuart Davidson said: "What a ridiculous thing to come out with. Why are we not offering a more diverse education system for those not academically inclined but instead will make fantastic, crafts people, mechanics, plumbers, electricians, chefs etc," while Liz O'Neil added: "Why don't politicians realise that not everyone is academically bright? Teach people practical subjects as well."
What do you think of the PM's plans? Have your say in our comments below.
Zoe Aspinall said: "This is all well and good but where are all the extra teachers coming from to teach it?" and Clare Wood added: "First find enough maths teachers..."
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. 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”.
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