Responding to reports of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ambition to extend maths study to the age of 18, Catherine Sezen, AoC Education Director said: “To achieve the Prime Minister’s ambition for all young people to continue studying maths post-16 the sums must add up, with appropriate qualifications for students working at different levels, adequate staffing levels, and sustainable funding for colleges and sixth forms.
“To truly have an impact, this strategy must focus on the entire cohort of 16 to 18-year-olds, not just the roughly 275,000 who take A Levels. More than 300,000 of the 18-year-olds who remain in education are on other pathways – including BTECs and T Levels – while around 15% are in work, some are on apprenticeships and some not in education, employment or training at all. Numeracy skills are needed throughout life and adult learners should also be included in the drive to boost the nation’s mathematical ability.
