Why Sunak’s maths plan doesn’t add up

Sunak’s announcement last week that all young people will be required to study some form of maths until age 18 was likely met with sighs of dismay around the country or exclamations of “thank goodness that didn’t happen in my time”.
The Prime Minister’s “more more more” approach – we’ll make them do maths until they “get it” – is sadly typical of the current educational climate and once again misses the point.
If children haven’t gained basic numeracy in the early years, primary school or secondary school will they really be motivated and successful when forced to study Maths at age 16?
Research shows that learning is most successful when pupils are happy and motivation is high, so what good is forcing young people to do something they are not happy about or motivated for?
We spoke to Louise Livingston has over 30 years of experience in education, has an MSc in Educational Neuroscience and is undertaking a PhD in Educational Neuroscience. Louise is Head of Training at the Maria Montessori Institute which offers Montessori teacher training and short courses at the UK’s only AMI training centre and an authentic Montessori school for children aged from 2½ years on five sites in North and West London.
Why is Rishi's potential new policy a bad idea?
The Prime Minister's "more more more" maths approach – we'll make them do maths until they "get it" – is sadly typical of the current educational climate and once again misses the point. If children have not acquired the mathematical skills they need for a happy, productive life by age 16, then it is unlikely that drilling them for another two years is going to make an iota of difference and may instead result in disenfranchised young people and more frustration to teachers who are so often required to teach children things that they are not interested in. Furthermore, insisting that children do more maths will leave less study time available for those who are interested in the arts and humanities – further, what impact will this have on engaging in arts and humanities beyond school? A better policy would be to review the way in which maths is taught – something is clearly going wrong if we feel it needs the whole of the child's school life to understand enough Maths to function successfully in society. Like every aspect of education, Maths is much more successfully learnt when delivered in a way that appeals to children's natural tendencies and interests. My many years of experience working with children and as a Montessori teacher trainer has shown me that when mathematical concepts are introduced early, in a developmentally appropriate way and incorporate an individual approach, that most children love Maths and are mathematically functional long before 18.
Will it disproportionately negatively impact school children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and state schools? And why?
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who find learning or aspects of learning challenging for whatever reason often find it more difficult to make progress. It's these children that are the main casualties of a system that requires all children to hit similar targets at similar ages and encourages teachers to "teach to the test", moving on through the curriculum at a pace that is more suited to the teacher's work-load than the child's ability or interest. It is a blindingly obvious fact that children are rarely ready to learn the same concepts simultaneously. They are human beings with unique developmental trajectories yet are frequently expected to work on the same topics or at the same level regardless of their actual level of skill or knowledge. Sunak's maths policy means that children who have been able to make less progress, regardless of their background, will be forced to acquire additional mathematical skills when time spent on something of greater interest to them might be more useful as they transition into adulthood.
Do you think this is yet another concern for parents who have children in school?
Suggesting that this last-ditch attempt will ensure the maths skills commensurate with productive adult life is absurd. At a time when our young people should be making their own choices about what will serve their life goals as they transition from adolescence into adulthood, it is a counterproductive strategy, and parents are right to be concerned.
Do you think it will be a cause for concern for teachers and it will be difficult for them too?
I think so, yes. Something is clearly going wrong if we feel it needs the whole of the child's school life to understand enough Maths to function successfully in life. Beating the same maths drum for a further two years with pupils who are unmotivated by the subject will be incredibly frustrating for teachers. Additionally, the shortage of Maths teachers at the secondary level undoubtedly has an impact, but the Maths magic should be happening with ease long before children reach secondary school.
Will it affect children's mental health, as well as teachers and parents?
Undoubtedly, with NHS youth mental health referrals already up 39% and at an all-time high, making two more years of maths compulsory will be stressful to those who haven't enjoyed it throughout primary and secondary education and could further impact pupils' already fragile mental health. Additionally, expecting teachers to deliver maths to pupils who haven't grasped it in the previous nineyears will be difficult for teachers and parents.
Will anything positive come out of this?
There is no doubt that good maths skills are needed in life. The Prime Minister's ideas for increasing understanding of personal finance, mortgages and so on are welcome. They would be good for society, though I would question why this can't be incorporated at GCSE or even earlier, as young people are clearly interested in money exchange and related topics much earlier than 16-18.
Why do you think Rishi wants to put this in place in the first place - and is it just a distraction from everything else that is going on?
I am not sure if it is a distraction technique or not. However, as a firm believer that education must support development from birth to adulthood - and must not be something that we DO to our children, it saddens me to hear that Mr Sunak's solution to the failure of our education system to deliver adults with the sufficient mathematical ability to facilitate their lives is to force more maths upon our young people, irrespective of whether they are interested in it or not.