Shockingly negative data about school kids’ literacy and numeracy levels..

[Absentmindedsmile]

An interim government report has highlighted that

• 40 percent of 16 year olds are not at the required standard in maths and literacy.
• 16 percent of 16 years olds are not even at the required standard expected of 11 year olds.

Firstly, what terrible statistics

Secondly, knowing this information, on what planet is it then a good idea to

• Introduce voting for these 16yr olds?
• Prevent some children who would benefit from a better education in private schools, from having one?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report

I think there should be a critical thinking test before being allowed to vote.

How does that sound?

Is this thread about education or who can vote?

See - that's my critical thinking

There should be no test.

You get the right to vote in a democracy and anyone who tries to restrict it is undemocratic. There's no grey area around that IMO, we allow people to do far more dangerous things - such as drive, operate power tools - without tests. Edited to add: obv you do the practical driving test - but we don't test critical thinking, we don't test emotional stability and we don't automatically retest.

Maybe if 16 yo kids could vote, successive governments would think more carefully about utterly failing education. Therefore raising the reading levels.

Focusing solely on bribing old people is what got us in this mess in the first place.

Actually the sad fact is that education isn't a vote winner. You would think that all parents with kids in state schools would care about education policies + funding however when it comes to elections it appears that education doesn't factor highly. Certainly people aren't prepared to pay more tax in order to fund it properly, which is a very sad indictment on our society

Why are these statistics a surprise? Not everyone can be average. Given a normal distribution and the fact that averages are created by some falling above and some falling below, it’s pretty obvious that a certain proportion fall under that. The expected standard is always basically an average. It’s simple common sense. Any negative greater than expected proportion of that is no surprise given how underfunded education is and how many children are struggling with unmet SEN. I’m always reminded of Michael Gove arguing that if all schools improve their performance then they can all be above average. Total idiocy and that self-serving, arrogant tool is the reason Education is in the total raging mess it is.

I was talking with a colleague the other day about the changes to the curriculum especially in maths where concepts which used to be held until secondary are now introduced in primary. If the % hitting the standards are so low, perhaps it’s the standard that needs looking at, not the young people?

Your first point is valid and somewhat alarming and has deep rooted structural causes.

Your second point shows you up to be the opportunistic political point scorer that you obviously are.

Im seriously tired of all these threads now

Loads of past papers available online as well, you could have a go yourself OP and see how you get on?

@Absentmindedsmile

40 percent of 16 year olds are not at the required standard in maths and literacy

Heres a question for you you.. if you went up to all the voting adults in this country and asked them to pass the current curriculum… what percentage do you think would pass. This include every single person over 18….?

Genuine question.

Id say, looking at most adults these days, it would be broadly inline with 40%

I've already given the average reading age of am adult in UK: 9-11 yrs old

please correct me if i am wrong as i've only skimmed the curriculum and assessment review BUT on pg 17 it suggests that the numbers you mention @Absentmindedsmile relates to children with send and those disadvantaged.

i could be wrong as i said i'm skimming the paper and the graphs.
but the heading Our Findings and Analysis/The Current System Is Not Working Well For Everyone/ young people with SEND fail to make sufficient progress in comparison to their non-SEND peers. Suggests the numbers you quote relate to the Send children.

Are those really the first two questions that popped into your head when you read the report, @Absentmindedsmile?

Because I can think of several far more appropriate questions.

English as their primary language?
English spoken at home?
Friends speak English when socialising?

I'm sure there'll be some stats in there to look at.

Oh is that what it is?

Like I said. A lot of British adults are incredibly stupid.

Jesus Christ is that right😳 I was reading at 13+ ages level when I was in year 1 in primary school. What on earth is happening in schools that reading levels are so ridiculously low

That is really worrying – but sadly not surprising. There have been signs for a while that something isn’t working in the system. It feels like a mix of factors: post-COVID disruptions, overloaded curriculum, underfunded schools, stretched teachers, and too much focus on exams rather than actual understanding.
I also wonder if the “required standard” is being reviewed regularly – is it realistic, age-appropriate, and meaningful in the real world? And what kind of support are schools given to help students who fall behind?
Blaming kids or teachers won’t fix this. We need proper investment in early intervention, better SEN support, and a curriculum that builds skills rather than just tests memory. It’s frustrating to see these stats repeated year after year without real systemic change.
It's also wrong to restrict the choices of parents who want to invest in private schools, tutors, or online education; such actions shouldn't be permitted.

Agreed on all counts.

Oh for goodness sake it's not shockingly negative.

If you set up an arbitrary level that you allow 60 percent to achieve and change the grade boundaries accordingly, it's hardly surprising that 40 percent don't meet it.