Is Rishi Sunak utterly thick?

[noblegiraffe]

Today he actually went ahead and announced his plans for everyone studying maths till 18.

And all everyone commenting on this on the news or social media has been saying today is "but this is mad because there aren't enough maths teachers to teach the qualifications we already have".

And teachers including maths teachers, are going on strike again next week because the government refuses to pay them properly. The government also failed to meet its maths teacher trainee recruitment target last year and will again this year.

This announcement just gives everyone the wonderful opportunity to point these governmental failings again and again.

Why the fuck would anyone with any political sense announce a policy that cannot happen and gives everyone the opportunity to point out that it can't happen because the government are shit?

Just why?

We don't have enough science teachers to teach science either!

Distance learning and 16 year olds? Like in lockdown?

😬 multiple issues

Does functional maths skills include being able to count how many people are in a room and knowing how far 2m is, so that one can avoid breaking the law?

It's also an area of skills ripe for AI overtake. It's simply impossible for a human to be better than a computer at maths.

The fractional of students who are the exception to this will already be studying maths.

And if these are kids that have found maths hard, they need decent maths teachers, not any old Tom, Dick or Harry. We don't have enough teachers of just about all subjects anyway.

Great thread title Noble 😂

If a student has failed to develop functional maths skills in 11 years of schooling before the age of 16, are they very likely to suddenly develop sufficient motivaiton to develop these skills by being told they have 2 years more of maths to do?

It's just all a other ploy to make us think he's doing something... when he isn't. Just like the free childcare announcement. Can't believe how many people fell for that!

Who?

Well the reason the announcement (repeat announcement) is today is

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65301099

Is Sunak thick or does he just think we are?
That confirms my suspicions that he was trying to bury bad news.

@jgw1 I'm not sure i understand your comment?

Of course it's also shocking that so many students fail to pass maths.

In a system in which a proportion of students HAVE to fail. It's almost as if these people have not a fucking clue what they're talking about.

Ffs

Or could it be that technical subjects are expected to incorporate more structured maths into their curriculums? So subject appropriate maths? Like book keeping and geometry for trades, I don't know. It can be done. Stop being so negative, no wonder no one wants to teach!

@Socialdistancechampion what planet do you live on. We can't get enough maths and science teachers. My local uni has two maths trainees this year. Nowhere near enough.

I live on a much more positive planet than the average mumsnetter it would seem. I can see this working if it's applied correctly

So you're anticipating that we'll have another review of the whole curriculum to deal with this batshit idea. Fabulous.

You can't just whack more stuff into the A level courses. It just doesn't work like that.

Did I say A levels?

Because frankly maths SHOULD be compulsory until 18, as it is in many other countries. And some schools in the UK, if they teach the (vastly superior IB rather than A-levels.

Is Brexit working where you live as well?

Socialdistancechampion - you don't think this isn't already being tried? Honest to God - maths is being shoehorned into every single curriculum subject these days. Try being a Humanities teacher and having to show when you are including something on numeracy in every scheme of work. It is because we are so short of decent Maths teachers, and falling so very far behind other countries, that suddenly every teacher in every subject area is expected to deliver maths skills.

Sticking plaster solutions will not wok.

My school only teaches A levels post 16

But okay... you can't just add stuff to any curriculum. Happy now?

No. It's an unmitigated disaster but we can't change it so let's get on and deal with the mess and fix what we can

The maths announcement is a dead parrot to try and distract people from the real story.

The real story is that Sunak came up with a childcare policy that directly benefits his wife (and him) via a childcare company she recently acquired. He failed to properly declare this acquisition and the fact that he would financially benefit from the policy.

As a side note, the Sunak's have an estimated combined net worth of £730 million. Why is he interested in a job that pays barely £165,000 a year?

@Socialdistancechampion ah yes if all us maths teachers could just be a bit more positive that will fix the MAHOOSIVE recruitment and retention issue with teachers for our subject…. It’s definitely our negativity causing all the problems here.

That's the spirit!