Eric Ollerenshaw with Carol Vorderman at the launch of the Maths Taskforce
Former teacher and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood, Eric Ollerenshaw, joined Carol Vorderman in her campaign to raise maths standards.
It was announced yesterday that Carol Vorderman is to head a maths task force for David Cameron.
Eric said “It is fantastic that somebody like Carol is spearheading this campaign to make Britain top of the class in Maths.”
The former co-host of Channel 4 show Countdown will assess teaching methods and whether tests have got easier.
Ms Vorderman, who describes maths as her ‘passion’, will visit schools and hold discussions with experts and parents.
She said, “In the last decade, 3.5 million children have left school without a basic qualification in maths – a shocking statistic. If they are to get the best jobs in the future and Britain is to emerge stronger from the recession we have little choice but to sort maths out now.
“There are many centres of excellence and many fabulous teachers, but help is needed for the children being failed. Maths is my passion, and there is no question that Britain has developed a fear of the subject and it is time to break that cycle.”
New figures
New Government figures today reveal that the poorest children are thirteen times more likely to fail the Maths GCSE than they are to be awarded top marks.
Information obtained through Parliamentary questions shows that just 3,312 children eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved an A or A* last year, compared to 44,368 FSM children who got below a C – the Government’s definition of a ‘good’ pass.
Just one in every twenty three FSM pupils last year obtained an A or A* in Maths GCSE compared to one in every six non-FSM pupils. A majority of FSM pupils (60 per cent) received a D grade or below, and five times as many obtained a U grade as obtained an A*.
The iGCSE
Shadow Children’s Secretary Michael Gove said: “Millions of children have left school under Labour without a C in GCSE in Maths, which means the best jobs aren’t open to them. Now we can see that it is the poorest that are worst affected.
“Schools are finding it difficult to find enough properly qualified Maths teachers, academic studies suggest exams are being devalued and the top independent schools are deserting Government-run exams for the new, more challenging iGCSE.
“The need to get Maths right is urgent so that our children will be in the best possible position for the future as we emerge from the recession.”
