The Post-14 Mathematics Inquiry

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About the Inquiry

| Background | Aims | Mode of working |

On 23 July, 2002, the Government announced that there would be an Inquiry into post-14 mathematics education. Principal of Queen Mary, University of London, Professor Adrian Smith FRS was appointed chair of the Inquiry on 31 October by Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, Margaret Hodge, and the Minister of State for School Standards, David Milliband.
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Background

The Inquiry was established in response to a recommendation in Sir Gareth Roberts' report SET for success. The Government's initial response to this report was included in the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Paul Boateng's, report Investing in Innovation.
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Aims

The aim of the Inquiry will be to make recommendations to ensure that the United Kingdom has a strong supply of young people with good mathematical knowledge and skills that meet the wide-ranging needs of employers and further and higher education. The Inquiry is expected to make recommendations on changes to the curriculum, qualifications and pedagogy for those aged 14 and over in schools, colleges and higher educational institutions, to enable students to acquire mathematical knowledge and skills necessary to meet the requirements of employers and further and higher education.
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Mode of working

On the 28 January, Professor Adrian Smith announced the members of the Inquiry's Steering Group, who will be working with him on this challenging and important Inquiry.

To ensure that the Inquiry is well informed and able to draw on the views, ideas and experiences of a wide range of interests, over 200 organisations have already been contacted and invited to give written evidence to the Inquiry. In giving some context to their response Professor Adrian Smith included a list of key questions that he believes the Inquiry should consider. These questions are in no way intended to be an exhaustive list and the letter of invitation to submit a response stressed that contributors should feel free to raise and address whatever issues they felt to be important.

The Inquiry website originally enabled anyone to contribute to the Inquiry.

Issues identified by contributors were incorporated into our key areas data-base. and cross-referenced. This information was then summarised for the Steering Group and used to inform our evidence base and emerging findings.

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  Steering Group

Key Questions

Key Areas

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For further information and to make comments please see the DfES website: www.dfes.gov.uk/mathsinquiry/