New resit guidelines are not based in reality

Imagine there are concerns about a shortage of tea bags. Supply problems arising from shipping attacks in the Red Sea area are to blame. Well wouldn’t it be strange if the government then said to the public: “We recognise there is a tea shortage – so we want you to all drink more tea. And not only drink more tea, but whilst these supply shortages exist we would also like you to use two tea bags per cup instead of one.” Madness and nonsense of course – but this is what the new DfE guidelines on resit maths add up to.

In the midst of the worst shortage of maths teachers ever, where at least one in seven classes are taught by non-maths specialists, the government has just announced that they want more maths to be taught to more students in the sixth-form phase. They are specifying a new minimum number of four hours per week, and that this must be in the form of “stand-alone, whole-class, in-person,” teaching. And the DfE doesn’t just want providers to do this, if schools and colleges don’t comply by 2025-26, then the government will invoke updated condition of funding rules to claim money back from the already cash-strapped schools and colleges in question. For 2024-25 the government has very kindly said that it whilst it “expects” providers to put on these extra maths hours, it won’t impose financial penalties if they don’t. How understanding!

The ridiculous rules do arise from an understandable policy aim, i.e. that the government believes more 16-19 year olds should study maths, especially if they haven’t achieved the holy grail of GCSE maths grade 4-9. But surely having a goal is one thing – insisting on hitting that target without creating the necessary conditions to be able to do that is quite another (similar rules apply to resit GCSE English as well, with a minimum of three hours per week).