|
|
| 1.1 |
Mathematics provides a powerful universal language and intellectual toolkit
for abstraction, generalization and synthesis. It is the language of science
and technology. It enables us to probe the natural universe and to develop
new technologies that have helped us control and master our environment,
and change societal expectations and standards of living. Mathematical skills
are highly valued and sought after. Mathematical training disciplines the
mind, develops logical and critical reasoning, and develops analytical and
problemsolving skills to a high degree. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.2 |
Mathematics is of central importance to modern society. It provides the
vital underpinning of the knowledge economy. It is essential in the physical
sciences, technology, business, financial services and many areas of ICT.
It is also of growing importance in biology, medicine and many of the social
sciences. Mathematics forms the basis of most scientific and industrial research
and development. Increasingly, many complex systems and structures in the
modern world can only be understood using mathematics and much of the design
and control of high-technology systems depends on mathematical inputs and
outputs. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.3 |
Ensuring an adequate supply of people with science, technology, engineering
and mathematics skills is at the heart of the UK Government’s strategy
for innovation and productivity and was the subject of the recent important
Roberts report (April 2002), SET for Success: the supply of people with
science, engineering and mathematics skills. |
| 1.4 |
The report documents the declining numbers of young people continuing
post-16 with education in subjects with high mathematics content other than
in Scotland, where numbers have increased substantially in recent years as
a result of the introduction of new National Qualifications in 1999, which
provided a wider range of qualifications. The UK is almost alone in Europe
in not making some form of mathematics a compulsory part of the post-16
curriculum. Currently, less than 10 per cent of the age cohort in England
continues with mathematics post-16; and less than 10 per cent of those who
do continue go on to do a mathematics degree. |
| 1.5 |
Against this background, the Roberts report provides a wealth of data
and analysis in support of the need for greater numbers of trained young
people with appropriate mathematical skills. In particular, it provides evidence
from employment rates, salary levels and surveys of employers' recruitment
experience that demonstrates that graduates and postgraduates in strongly
mathematical subjects are in increasing demand in the UK economy. The report
concludes that skills shortages in areas requiring high levels of mathematical
knowledge are resulting from the disparity between the growing demand for
such skills and the declining numbers of graduates in the relevant disciplines.
These shortages constitute a threat to the Government’s innovation and
productivity strategy and to the future strength and success of the UK economy. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.6 |
Although the role of mathematics in underpinning science, technology
and engineering is reasonably well recognized and acknowledged in the UK,
the fundamental and all-pervasive role of mathematics throughout the rest
of the economy is typically not well understood. To the layman it can appear
that mathematics for the workplace has become less important because "everything
is now done by computers". The clear message to the Inquiry from a wide range
of leading industries and businesses is that this is absolutely not the case. |
| 1.7 |
Major employers in the engineering, construction, pharmaceutical, financial
and retail sectors have all made clear to us their continuing need for people
with appropriate mathematical skills. In particular, employers highlight
the shortage of statisticians. Advanced economies need an increasing number
of people with more than minimum qualifications in mathematics to stay ahead
in international competitiveness and, in particular, to effectively exploit
advances in technology. An adequate supply of young people with mastery of
appropriate mathematical skills at all levels is vital to the future prosperity
of the UK. |
| 1.8 |
Requirements for mathematical skills in the workplace have been examined
in detail in a recent report, Mathematical Skills in the Workplace
(Celia Hoyles, Alison Wolf, Susan Molyneux-Hodgson and Philip Kent –
June 2002, Institute of Education and STMC). A key finding of the study was
that although the ubiquitous use of information technology in all sectors
has changed the nature of the mathematical skills required, it has not reduced
the need for mathematics. The authors of the report refer to these mathematical
skills and competencies, framed by the work situation and practice and the
use of IT tools, as “mathematical literacy”. The term partly reflects
the skills needed by individuals in relation to business goals, but also
reflects the need to communicate mathematically expressed decisions and
judgements to others. On the basis of detailed case studies, the report concludes
that there is an increasing need for workers at all levels of organisations
to possess an appropriate level of mathematical literacy. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.9 |
The acquisition of at least basic mathematical skills – commonly
referred to as "numeracy" - is vital to the life opportunities and achievements
of individual citizens. Research shows that problems with basic skills have
a continuing adverse effect on people’s lives and that problems with
numeracy lead to the greatest disadvantages for the individual in the labour
market and in terms of general social exclusion. Individuals with limited
basic mathematical skills are less likely to be employed, and if they are
employed are less likely to have been promoted or to have received further
training. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.10 |
From all perspectives, the UK needs more young people with greater mastery
of higher levels of appropriate mathematics skills than is currently the
case. To achieve this, we need three things to happen:
-
first, that more young people continue longer with the study of mathematics;
-
secondly, that we have a clear view of what are, at any given level, the
appropriate mathematical skills to be acquired and what constitutes mastery
of these skills;
-
thirdly, that, having agreed the latter, the teaching and learning process
and environment effectively encourages and promotes the mastery of these
skills.
|
| 1.11 |
In the current non-compulsory environment, the first requirement in paragraph
1.10 leads us to consider the issue of the numbers of students choosing to
continue with mathematics post-16. This leads us to consider the factors
that influence student choice post-16 and how these might be modified. Factors
influencing student choice are complex and not well understood, although
certain themes emerge anecdotally from focus groups:
-
the influence of the teacher is clearly important; in particular, poor teaching
is likely to turn students off mathematics;
-
the perceived difficulty of mathematics relative to other subjects is also
important both to schools (concerned with league tables) and to individual
students (concerned with university entrance);
-
separate from perceived difficulty, the content of the course may be perceived
to be boring or irrelevant, or insufficiently stimulating or challenging;
-
lack of awareness of the link between career options and subject choices
may also play a role, both for teachers and students.
|
| 1.12 |
The second requirement leads us to consider issues of curriculum, assessment
and qualifications and whether these are currently fit for purpose. |
| 1.13 |
The third requirement leads us to consider issues relating to learning
pathways, teaching resources and pedagogy (including the use of ICT) and
whether these are currently fit for purpose. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.14 |
In this report, we address these issues in the following way.
-
Chapter 2 reviews problems related to the supply of specialist mathematics
teachers and makes a number of recommendations;
-
Chapter 3 sets the scene for a discussion of curriculum, assessment and
qualifications issues with a detailed account of current 14-19 mathematics
pathways in the UK;
-
Chapter 4 reviews in detail a number of the concerns expressed to the Inquiry
about the fitness for purpose of current pathways and makes a number of
recommendations for short- and mediumterm improvements and changes;
-
Chapter 4 goes on to make a longer-term recommendation about preparation
for a more radical re-think of mathematics pathways in the context of the
kinds of overall changes to the 14-19 landscape that might emerge, for example
in England, from the Working Group on 14-19 curriculum and qualifications
reform;
-
Chapter 5 considers the issues of how we could better support, in the very
broadest sense, the teaching and learning of mathematics;
in particular, how we could better support those involved in the teaching
of mathematics at all levels through various forms of Continuing Professional
Development;
-
Chapter 6 presents a blueprint for a national infrastructure to oversee and
deliver such support for the teaching and learning of mathematics.
|
| |
|
|
|
| 1.15 |
In considering these issues, the Inquiry has inevitably had to relate
the concerns of mathematics both to other disciplines and to the wider concerns
of schools and the education system. This has led us to become increasingly
concerned that there is insufficient recognition, in many quarters, of the
fact that mathematics is in many respects "special" and that we must be prepared
to consider, particularly in terms of organisation, structures, and investment,
that different approaches and prioritisation may be required for mathematics. |
| 1.16 |
There are positive senses in which mathematics is special. First, by
virtue of its fundamental nature as a universal abstract language and its
underpinning of the sciences, technology and engineering, mathematics has
a claim to an inherently different status from most other disciplines. Secondly,
as we have set out above, mathematics is fundamentally important in an
all-pervasive way, both for the workplace and for the individual citizen. |
| 1.17 |
But there are also negative senses in which mathematics is special. In
particular, in the UK there is a widespread view, among both parents and
students, that the subject itself is "difficult" and "boring" and presents
disproportionate challenges in the school and college setting, both in terms
of the workload and the achievability of high grades. Another, unfortunate,
negative sense in which mathematics is special derives from the very serious
shortage of specialist mathematics teachers, particularly in maintained secondary
schools and colleges in England and Wales. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.18 |
Within the territories of the UK, there is a varied pattern of devolution
of responsibilities for different aspects of mathematics education. Scotland
has a completely devolved system and all responsibilities lie ultimately
with the Scottish Executive. Northern Ireland also has fully devolved
responsibilities, but its curriculum and qualification structure is very
similar to that of England and Wales and it has historically approached issues
of teachers’ pay and conditions with a view to generally maintaining
parity with England and Wales. Wales no longer has a common curriculum with
England, although the current arrangements are still very similar to the
previous joint arrangements. It has responsibilities for its own targets
for teaching training and for Continuing Professional Development, but
responsibility for teachers' pay and conditions remains with the Department
for Education and Skills (DfES). Engalnd, Wales and Northern Ireland share
a common qualifications system. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.19 |
This report makes a number of detailed recommendations. However, we are
necessarily addressing our recommendations to existing government departments
and agencies and have inevitably been led to reflect on whether these are
currently organised and constituted in a manner best suited to acknowledging
and taking forward our very special concerns about mathematics. We have outlined
above the complex division of devolved responsibilities among the four
territories of the UK but restrict our further discussion of this issue to
England. |
| 1.20 |
In particular, respondents are concerned about what they see as current
obstacles in England to taking forward subject-specific agendas within the
education system. For example, the Inquiry has observed, with considerable
concern, that there is no high-level post in the DfES in England with dedicated
subject-specific responsibility for mathematics. We are also very concerned
that in England the split of responsibilities between secondary schools (DfES)
and Sixth Form and FE Colleges (LSC) presents a potential obstacle to joinedup
thinking and action regarding 14-19 mathematics educational strategy. This
prompts our first recommendation. |
|
Recommendation 1.1
The Inquiry recommends that in England a high-level post be created in the
DfES with dedicated subject-specific responsibility for mathematics. The
Inquiry further recommends that in England a joint forum be created between
the DfES and the LSC through which high-level officers in the DfES and LSC
with subject-specific responsibilities for mathematics are charged with
overseeing coherent strategy for 14-19 mathematics education. |
| |
|
|
|
| 1.21 |
It has also become clear during the course of this Inquiry that although
almost everyone can be regarded as an important stakeholder in mathematical
education, there are currently very few forums for effective communication
among major stakeholders. We make some recommendations in Chapters 5 and
6 that attempt to address this issue at a local level, but a broader issue
remains. |
| 1.22 |
The Advisory Committee for Mathematics Education (ACME) is a recently
formed body, empowered by the Royal Society and the mathematics professional
bodies and learned societies that come under the umbrella of the Joint
Mathematics Council to speak on behalf of the mathematics community on matters
in England pertaining to mathematics education. In any particular case, the
involvement of ACME, augmented by professional representatives from the
territories as and when appropriate, could provide a direct and manageable
mechanism for involving a large part of the professional stakeholder community.
We believe this to be an important and valuable role for ACME to
play and have made explicit suggestions for ACME's involvement in a number
of the Inquiry's recommendations. However, the current scale of funding for
ACME would not support this expanded role. This prompts our next recommendation. |
|
Recommendation 1.2
The Inquiry recommends that, in order to enable ACME to play an important
extended role, including taking forward a number of the Inquiry's
recommendations, substantial Government funding be made available to ACME.
We recommend that this be channelled, as is existing funding, through the
Royal Society, in order to enable ACME to retain its standing as an independent
voice acting on behalf of the mathematics education community. |
| |
|
The wider mathematics community
|
| 1.23 |
However, the Inquiry is aware that ACME is empowered only to represent
the wider mathematics community on matters of mathematics education. Respondents
to the Inquiry have covered a much wider constituency of stakeholder interests;
in particular, those in the mathematics community primarily concerned with
mathematics research and/or the outreach of mathematics to business and industry. |
| 1.24 |
Many of these respondents to the Inquiry have noted the lack of a single
high-level body - comparable, say, with the Science Council or the Engineering
and Technology Board - that could make representations to the DfES, or to
Ministers when appropriate, on strategic level issues relating to the discipline
of mathematics and its role in the economy and society. The Inquiry believes
that such a body would be invaluable in advising on taking forward the issues
and recommendations presented in this report and in sustaining subsequent
strategic discussions on the future of mathematics in the UK. This prompts
the following recommendation. |
|
Recommendation 1.3
The Inquiry recommends that the UK mathematics learned and professional societies
form an Advisory Committee on Mathematics Research and Industry (ACMRI),
which would be empowered to speak on behalf of the community to Government
and others on strategic level issues concerning the role of mathematics in
the economy and society, complementing ACME's role in relation to mathematics
education. The Inquiry suggests that it would be valuable to also have a
joint Advisory Committee for Mathematics (ACM), formed from representatives
of ACME and ACMRI, to speak on behalf of the community on general strategic
issues concerning mathematics. |