Maths Compulsory To 18?

In January 2023, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to make the study of maths compulsory to age 18.

In the UK, maths is already compulsory up to the age of 16. Another two years’ study will mean great changes in the education system, with new systems to implement and assess learning. One of the most pressing problems is how to deliver more maths teaching time. There is already a shortage of maths teachers across the UK.

What we do know so far is that pupils will not be required to take an A Level in maths. Research and planning within government is looking at how to integrate maths study within apprenticeships and other non-academic modes of delivery.

Most other OECD countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the United States already make maths compulsory to 18.

There are many reasons to focus on improving maths skills across the population.

The ability to deal with everyday calculations is increasingly important, particularly in a world driven by data and described in terms of statistics. The OECD reports that “There are particularly large proportions of adults in England and Northern Ireland with poor numeracy skills.”

The increase of lifetime earnings is another strong motivator. Department of Education research reporting states, “A one-grade improvement in Maths is estimated to be associated with an increase of £14,579 in present value of lifetime earnings.”