The Prime Minister wants youngsters to study maths until they are 18. Rishi Sunak has identified an ‘anti maths mindset’ that is holding the country back. He is right. There is any anti maths mindset and the economy would be better off if youngsters left school fully numerate. They would be better able to understand…
After more than a year of children experiencing disrupted schooling, they now have a six-week holiday – a chance for them to get even further behind. Many parents of those going up to secondary school have asked me what they should be doing to ensure their children know as much as they ought to. This…
For decades, universities and businesses have complained that many coming through the school system have sub-standard literacy and numeracy skills. While the 2014 National Curriculum changes were a move in the right direction, the problem remains. The boss of John Lewis, Dame Sharon White, has recently disclosed that the business is giving basic English and…
The Prime Minister has been criticised for saying that wealthier parents can buy private tuition because they ‘work hard’. It is true that many people who work hard can afford tutors for their children. Many parents also make sacrifices and forego other things to be able to afford the tuition. And it is also true…
Needless to say, teaching unions have baulked at the suggestion that the school day or term-time should be lengthened in order for students to catch up on work missed during lockdown. The unions exist to represent the interests of their members and that is their priority. They can’t be criticised for this, but it does…