Education leaders on Teesside have backed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plans to put maths at the top of the syllabus for young students - but they have said it is part of a much bigger challenge for the whole sector.

In a major speech today covering five key pledges, the Prime Minister spoke about the importance of improving numeracy, as he promised to make it a central objective of the UK education system - but not as a compulsory A Level for everyone.

“We need to support good teaching and spread best practice with a plan to improve attainment in primary schools. Next, we need to stop seeing education is something that ends at age 18 or that sees university as the only option with more technical education, lifelong learning and apprenticeship,” he said.

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He told an audience in Stratford: “One of the biggest changes in mindset we need in education today is to reimagine our approach to numeracy. Right now, just half of all 16 to 19-year-olds study any maths at all. Yet in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, our children’s jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before. And letting our children out into the world without those skills, is letting our children down.”

The Northern Echo: Rishi SunakRishi Sunak (Image: PA)

Grant Glendinning, Chief Executive and Group Principal at Education Training Collective (Etc.), replied: “I fully agree with the Prime Minister, opportunity is intrinsically linked with education – ensuring that learners have access to the best possible learning experiences. However, while maths, and English, are important and critical foundations of any education pathway towards employment, they do not work in isolation.

"Skills as a whole, starting with English and maths, developed from primary into secondary education, supported by additional learning and development in further education or in the workplace as part of an apprenticeship or T Level, are what will see our young people best positioned to take advantage of the careers and opportunities they pursue, supporting the economic growth of our country.

The Northern Echo: Grant GlendinningGrant Glendinning (Image: Press release)

It will be interesting to understand how this will be rolled out, but with the best interests of our learners and our communities firmly at the heart of Etc. colleges, it is difficult to see how enhanced skills development can be anything but a positive.”

Zoe Lewis, Principal and Chief Executive of Middlesbrough College, told us: "The UK is one of the few developed nations that reduces the time spent in education from around 25 hours per week from the age of 5 to 16 years old to around 16 hours per week between the ages of 16 and 18.

The Northern Echo: Zoe LewisZoe Lewis (Image: Press release)

"We would welcome any opportunity to increase the hours available to continue the development of key skills required for life and the workplace in our young people, whether this be mathematics, English, digital, physical education or employability skills.

"Whilst we would not necessarily single out mathematics from the list of priority skills, we would very much support any increase in investment between in the ages of 16 and 18, alongside a clear plan as to how we can develop and train the increased numbers of teachers that would be required, in light of the current shortages across the sector."

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said businesses needed young people who were ready for work: "The Prime Minister is right to be concerned about the progress made by disadvantaged children in this country," he said.

"It is simply not good enough that 60% of children do not receive a high enough grade at GCSE in maths to make it on to a T-Level course or other vocation routes to further study. 

The Northern Echo: Henri MurisonHenri Murison (Image: Press release)
"However it's worth noting that already many young people are studying maths post 16 through resits, in order to get the grade they need to make it through to the system to achieve a higher level of skills. 

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"The business community needs young people to be work ready. Numeracy is important but too much focus up to the age of 16 is focused on mathematics as an academic subject, rather than its real world uses.
"The schools minister also needs to sort out funding for disadvantaged children - starting off by reversing the cuts to opportunity areas. Bradford, for example, funded maths catch up and is doing a better job of fixing the problems of poorer children than the lacklustre efforts of the Department for Education" 

A spokesperson for Schools North East said: “While the Prime Minister’s prioritising of education and post-16 in his first speech of 2023 is welcome, it is not clear what the evidence base is for the ambition for all pupils in England to study some form of maths to the age of 18.

Additionally, it is unclear how this policy will be resourced, both in terms of staff and finances. Recent research highlighted the financial pressures the education system currently faces, with further education colleges and sixth forms in a particularly difficult position.

“Colleges and sixth forms have seen a long-term decline in spending per student relative to schools. Additionally, Initial Teacher Training data shows that the government is currently missing new entrants to ITT targets, reaching 90% of the target in maths for 2022/23.

“This announcement has come during a significant crisis in recruitment and retention of school staff. The funding announcements last year for education were welcome, and helped ease the financial pressures related to rising energy costs and unfunded staff pay awards. However schools are still facing a range of serious challenges.

“Schools are facing ongoing financial pressures, a recruitment and retention crisis, and persistent absences. Schools are continuing to support students, both as they ‘catch-up’ from lost learning, and also with their mental health and wellbeing. There has been an increase of students with special educational needs (SEND), and particularly significant challenges in early years.

“There is a lack of capacity in the system to meet these challenges. These issues must be prioritised if the Prime Minister is serious about levelling-up opportunities across the country. Schools now need a clear strategic plan from early years to post-16, to address both the impact of the pandemic, and the perennial issues that have been exacerbated by Covid.”