IMPROVEMENT IN MATHS CENTRAL TO FUTURE ECONOMIC SUCCESS - CLARKE

13 March 2003

Secretary of State for Education and Skills Charles Clarke today announced a new National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching as part of a sustained drive to build on improvements in maths' teaching and learning.

Speaking at an international mathematics seminar organised by the Advisory Committee for Mathematics Education (ACME), Mr Clarke said that maths is central to future economic success, underpinning progress in science, engineering and finance. We need to undo the myth that it is acceptable to be poor at maths, he argued.

And he revealed that as Secretary of State he uses skills that he developed from studying maths. "I use maths skills every day as Secretary of State - thinking through issues, using logic, solving problems - I could not do without those skills, and I think most people would say the same", he said.

He said the Numeracy Strategy has made huge progress since 1997, giving children the right foundations at an early age. And this progress is being carried forward in secondary schools through the Key Stage 3 National Strategy. But too many still are not fulfilling their potential. We can do more - and must sustain their progress throughout their school life.
Mr Clarke said that we need to be better at inspiring and supporting teachers, refreshing the enthusiasm for maths that led them into teaching the subject in the first place.

And he went on to say that this drive on maths specialism is part of the Government's passion for improving subject specialism as a whole, outlined in the recent document 'A New Specialist System: Transforming Secondary Education'.

Mr Clarke said that the new National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching will build on improvements made in maths' teaching and learning since 1997. It will:

. Cover all ages from pre-school through to universities and adult learning
. Provide teachers with professional support, training and development
. Work with teachers to produce specific curriculum support, exciting classroom materials and opportunities to explore different teaching approaches
. Work with the Numeracy Strategy in primary schools and the maths strand of the Key Stage 3 National Strategy.
. Link closely with specialist schools, local partner schools and universities to create strong and innovative subject specialist networks
. Support and enhance projects for the benefit of mathematically gifted young people
Adrian Smith, as Chair of the Post-14 Maths Inquiry, has been asked to advise on the costs and options for the new Centre and will report back to the Secretary of State by autumn.
Mr Clarke said:
"I am looking to business to support the new National Centre for Maths. We have a great partnership with the Wellcome Trust, working together to create a new National Science Centre. I am sure business and charitable trusts will want to work with us on maths as well."

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to England

1. Recent improvements in pupils' achievements in literacy and numeracy have been substantial. 73% of 11 year olds achieved at least level 4 in maths in 2002 - a 14% point increase since 1998. 75% of 11 year olds achieved at least level 4 English in 2002 - a 10% increase since 1998. HMCI report 2001-02 published in February cites English and Maths as the best taught subjects in primary schools.

2. The government has introduced incentives to boost the recruitment of maths teachers. From September 2002, £6,000 training bursaries and £4,000 'golden hellos" were available for those maths graduates going on to teach maths. The routes into teaching were widened, helping to widen the pool of applicants and recruitment to teacher training in maths has increased by 16% between 2000/01 and 2002/03.

3. Since January 2001, numbers of support staff have increased by 28,000. An estimated 50,000 more (full-time equivalent) support staff will be recruited during this Parliament. The National Agreement between Government, employers and school workforce unions, signed on 15 January this year, sets out proposals for contractual and other changes that will achieve progressive reductions in teachers' overall hours. Support staff working alongside teachers have already contributed to significant improvements in the quality of teaching and learning, including as part of the literacy and numeracy strategies.

4. Maths undergraduates can help inspire and engage young people, for example the Millennium Maths Project (MMP) was set up within the University of Cambridge in 1999 as a joint project between the Faculties of Mathematics and Education. Its aim is to support maths education and promote the development of mathematical skills and understanding.

5. The first 12 Mathematics and Computing specialist schools started operating in September 2002 and a further 26 will open in September 2003. Press notice 2003/0016 refers.

6. DfES also supports the World Class Arena project as part of its gifted and talented education programme. World class arena is based around tests in maths and problem-solving for our most able young mathematicians aged up to 9 and 13. Further details are available at www.worldclassarena.org There are also several other opportunities available, including Nrich, the Millennium Maths Project, the International Maths Olympiad and Advanced Maths Centres.

7. The United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) is an independent charity whose remit is "to advance the education of children and young people in mathematics and in particular by organising and running mathematics competitions". The UKMT ran the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), hosted by the UK last year. The IMO is an annual competition for secondary school pupils aged 11-19, which has grown considerably since its start in 1959.

8. Skills for Life, a national post-16 strategy for improving adult literacy, language and numeracy was launched in March 2001. A target to improve the basic skills of £1.5 million adults by 2007 was set, and 249,000 adults were helped to improve their skills between April 2001 and July 2002. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) makes numeracy provision available free to all adults. Press notice 2001/0114 refers.

9. Action so far to secure improvements in adult numeracy skills includes: publishing national standards for adult numeracy, which relate closely to both the key skills and the national curriculum levels in schools; in 2001 publishing the national adult core curriculum for numeracy; delivering a teacher training programme which has so far trained 6,378 numeracy teachers to use the new curriculum.

10. National tests for adult literacy and numeracy have been developed by QCA and were piloted in Pathfinder areas in July 2001 and introduced nationally in September. In the Pathfinder, nearly 2000 learners sat the tests, with a success rate of 65%. The tests replace the old literacy and numeracy qualifications at Level 1 and 2, and are not compulsory.

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Press Notice 2003/0039