Rishi Sunak to say that Britain must end its ‘anti-maths’ culture to get the economy booming

Britain must end its ‘anti-maths’ culture to get the economy booming, Rishi Sunak will warn today.

The Prime Minister wants all pupils to study some form of maths until 18 years old and will say that the subject is ‘as essential as reading’ for a thriving, modern economy.

He will use a speech at an academy in London to warn poor attainment in the subject has become ‘socially acceptable’ and announce a new advisory group to look into a potential new maths qualification for those aged 16 to 18.

While the UK has risen in international education league tables over the last decade, it remains one of the poorest for numeracy in the 38-member OECD group of developed nations. 

More than 8 million adults have numeracy skills below those expected of a nine-year-old and around a third of students fail to pass GCSE maths. 

Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of disadvantaged pupils do not have basic maths skills at 16.

Mr Sunak is expected to say: ‘If we are going to grow the economy not just over the next two years, but the next 20, we simply cannot allow poor numeracy to cost our economy tens of billions a year or to leave people twice as likely to be unemployed as those with competent numeracy.

‘We have to fundamentally change our education system so it gives our young people the knowledge and skills they need – and that our businesses need – to compete with the best in the world.’ 

Mathematicians, education chiefs and business leaders will be appointed to the new advisory group, which will advise ministers on the teaching content which will boost young people’s prospects.

It will look at what countries with high numeracy rates do and speak to employers across the country about how to fill the skills gap.

The PM will add: ‘We will not deliver this change overnight. We’ll need to recruit and train the maths teachers.

‘We’ll need to work out how to harness technology to support them. And we’ll need to make sure this maths is additional to other subjects – not instead of them.’

Experts have warned that the goal will be challenging, saying that a lack of maths teachers and a focus on exams meant ‘fundamental reform’ would be needed.

Mr Sunak first set out his ‘maths to 18’ vision in January, saying there was a need to ‘reimagine our approach to numeracy’. 

The Government is exploring how that might be delivered, including via the Core Maths qualifications, T-levels and ‘more innovative options’.

Professor Ulrike Tillmann, from the London Mathematical Society, said: ‘Maths to 18 will help prepare the next generation for a job market that is more data-driven and requires quantitative skills at all levels.’ 

Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, said: ‘From making sure you’re not getting ripped off with credit to sorting out rent, mortgages and bills, [confidence with numbers] can make a world of difference to our lives.’