Maths to 18

[Postapocalypticcowgirl]

So, various stakeholders have pointed out the issues with recruiting enough maths teachers to teach maths to 18 to the education select committee.

Apparently the committee discussed incentives for maths teachers such as "“golden handshakes” and bonuses or incentives for those who are arriving in the profession."

Um, hasn't this already been tried. For years? And it isn't working?

How out of touch are MPs with the situation in schools?

www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/teacher-recruitment-concern-maths-18-pledge

I suggest that any MP in favour of this policy should volunteer an hour a week to teaching core maths to 16yos who only want to study humanities or arts!

Please don't suggest that. Part of my role is supporting struggling staff... I don't mind supporting them, but I don't want to have to support absolute wanker MPs

@MrsHamlet Very valid!

I just don't understand what they think is going on in education though. Where are all these extra maths specialists going to spring from?

Maybe it could all be delivered online?

It's all balls, they knew it was unworkable, a report the govt commissioned in 2017 told them it was unworkable then, and recruitment of maths teachers has got worse since.

Rishi wanted to spout some policy that sounded aspirational, that maybe reminded voters that he used to be chancellor and good at maths so good at the economy etc etc.

It's to be implemented in the next government, and they know that isn't going to be them so they don't actually have to do anything. Free headlines that aren't "Rishi sacks tax-dodging MP" or "Rishi defends bullying MP" or "MP Sleaze Scandal" or whatever.

So why are they wasting select committee time with it?

To be honest, the biggest concern to me is that the education select committee seems unaware of all the strategies that have already been tried to recruit maths teachers and haven't worked.

Not sure if this is a serious suggestion or not, but this would still take maths teachers away from teaching pre-16 and it would probably be a pretty negative experience for students.

Students who, say, scraped a 5 on the foundation paper really need someone in the room who can look at what they are doing and help them through higher level maths (or this is my experience from trying to teach some of them A-level science).

Some students need you to physically look at their calculator and show them the buttons to press to e.g. work out a log, etc.

And these are students who at least have committed to trying to learn a science, and knew maths would be involved. Someone who wants to do, idk, Drama, English and History will likely be far less enthused.

It feels like there's no value at all being placed on student's time, and what they want to focus on post 16.

I also teach some students who's standard of written English is shocking, or who have extremely poor IT skills. So why is it only maths to 18 that is being suggested?

Because the lack of maths skills at every level post-16 is damaging the economy.

I'm sure it is. I teach some BTEC students who have 4s in maths/English who aren't eligible to retake, and I think they would benefit from further support with both maths and English. It also becomes a barrier for uni entry too.

I also have to spend time teaching some of them basic IT skills, like how to attach a file to an email, etc.

Hah, thanks Michael Gove for scrapping ICT. 'Digital natives will know how to do all that sort of thing automatically' he said.

One 'positive' of school closures was how thoroughly it demonstrated that online learning is balls for many students, particularly those who are less engaged, such as those who might be forced to take maths post-16.

Yeah definitely.

Being able to use extremely intuitive apps on your phone doesn't mean you have the skills needed to effectively use a computer in education or the workplace.

But anyway, there's no way it could be done effectively by a teacher teaching online to multiple classes at once. And I'm not sure who would want to do that, either.