UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has proposed making the study of mathematics compulsory for all students in England up to the age of 18, to help young people “in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job”.
Extending compulsory maths education past 16 is not a new idea. It has been suggested by other ministers and has failed to materialise. What is clear, though, is that the prime minister’s reasoning is grounded in fact. There is a mathematical skills shortage in the UK.
