Education experts and unions say Rishi Sunak’s promise to make all pupils study maths until they are 18 is unattainable because the chronic shortage of teachers in the subject is “at crisis point”.
The government has missed its target for teacher recruitment in seven of the past eight years, official statistics show.
The prime minister unveiled plans to make it compulsory in England to study some form of maths until the age of 18, saying the jobs of the future would require more analytical skills than ever.
He highlighted how many other developed countries including Canada, Germany and the US require maths to be studied until 18.
The former chancellor aims to help people cope better with their personal finances, as well as improving their job skills.
