How can Rishi Sunak’s maths plan add up when we don’t have enough teachers?
If Rishi Sunak has approximately 14,000,000 children under the age of 18 and a shortage of teachers to teach them, how many children will be able to learn maths? A maths question the prime minister is surely racking his brains trying to answer. In today’s Letters, Metro readers are discussing the government’s plans to make mathematics compulsory until the age of 18.
In other news, how are you preparing for the coronation? We’ve made a quiche.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
■ Our prime minister has embarked on a worthy mission to make the British public numerate by ensuring all pupils study maths until they are 18 (Metro, Tue).
Unfortunately, a shortage of mathematics teachers will prevent his ideas from coming to fruition.
Among the reasons for enhanced numeracy is a better understanding of the financial products on offer: loans, mortgages, hire-purchase agreements, equity release and the like.
Maybe the financial services industry can further public understanding of its many products in the meantime, using plain English rather than concealing the details in small print and opaque jargon.
Just as patients do not have to master medical sciences before taking up treatment, neither should the public have to become mathematically adept before understanding compound interest, annual percentage rates and other features of products on offer.
Ashis Banerjee, London
■ Over the decades, Tory governments have had many ideas about ‘improving’ the curriculum. I was a teacher of languages in the 80s when they proposed compulsory language teaching to age 16.
‘Not enough language teachers, ’I thought. Well, it never happened, so it seems I was right.
In the mid-90s, there was a shortage of science teachers, so they gave golden hellos to young graduates. I came across quite a few who had taken up the offer. After the required two years they were all gone.
Now it’s the turn of maths to get special attention. When they can’t find enough teachers, the idea will fade into obscurity and will never be heard of again.
Valerie Weber, Lewisham
■ Whether governments are Labour or Tory, their plans are not always acceptable to the people. However, Rishi Sunak’s maths study plans could achieve some good results in the future – we should think about it and give it a go.
It’s very easy to criticise but if we carefully look around us we’ll find many weaknesses in mathematical knowledge, compared with other countries, which are pushing us behind every day.
Why we should give up on mathematics early when we all know that knowledge is power?
Samuel, Tooting
■ Instead of lecturing us about the need to improve our maths skills, Rishi Sunak needs to count the cost of 13 years of Tory misrule. The cost to the British taxpayer runs into many billions of pounds – money literally thrown down the drain.
Scott, West London
■ The prime minister’s bright idea to extend maths learning up to the age of 18 should go much further – it should be compulsory for all government ministers to do refresher courses in mathematics.
Billions of taxpayers’ money has been wasted on vanity projects such as HS2. Billions were given to companies making fraudulent claims for cash in the pandemic. Billions were wasted on PPE gowns that weren’t fit to use – I could go on and on.
Government ministers throw away money like confetti at a wedding. That’s why it’s they who need to learn a lot more about maths – and not the rest of us.
Al, Charlton
Not stuck on coronation quiche…?
■ I’m not stuck on the coronation quiche (Metro, Tue), no disrespect meant to the King. Can’t a version of the black forest gateau be designed, maybe by Prue Leith? It would reflect the German origin of the royal family!
Amy, London
■ Spinach, broad bean and tarragon quiche? Yuk!
Lizzie D, London
■ Thank goodness for Channel 4 and its stance on the coronation (Metro, Tue). By offering alternatives to grovelling broadcasting of the event by other channels, it’s truly living up to its reputation as a broadcaster for minorities. For me it will either be Channel 4 or a sick bucket.
Stevie, Harrow
MORE : We tried making the Coronation quiche - here's our verdict
Metro readers discuss different agreements…
■ John B of Surbiton (MetroTalk, Tue) says he has yet to hear of any real benefits gained from leaving the EU. Has he forgotten about our marvellous trade deal with the CPTPP, worth a whopping 0.08 per cent increase to our GDP!
Nick, South London
■ Following the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia (Metro, Wed), why doesn’t America arrest a Russian TV news reporter in New York and sentence them to 25 years for spying? Then perhaps they are even and both countries can do a swap.
Richard Farrar, London
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