London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Here's How Rishi Sunak's Plan To Make Maths Compulsory Could Work For UK

Here's How Rishi Sunak's Plan To Make Maths Compulsory Could Work For UK

Around half of adults in the UK are reported to have the same level of numeracy as is expected of a child at primary school. This lack of maths skills has been estimated to cost the UK 20 billion pounds per year.
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has proposed making the study of mathematics compulsory for all students in England up to the age of 18, to help young people “in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job”.

Extending compulsory maths education past 16 is not a new idea. It has been suggested by other ministers and has failed to materialise. What is clear, though, is that the prime minister's reasoning is grounded in fact. There is a mathematical skills shortage in the UK.

The government's 2017 Smith Review found that only around 20% of students on non-STEM degrees in higher education have studied mathematics after the age of 16. A Nuffield Foundation report, which compared England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to 20 other developed nations (including Estonia, Spain, Japan, Korea and Russia) found that they were four of only six countries that did not require any mathematics study after 16.

What's more, around half of adults in the UK are reported to have the same level of numeracy as is expected of a child at primary school. This lack of maths skills has been estimated to cost the UK £20 billion per year.

Limited resources

However, Sunak's plan has been met with criticism. A hurdle to the idea to extend maths teaching is the widespread shortage of maths teachers. This shortage is compounded by teachers leaving the profession. Approximately a third of all teachers have left five years after qualifying.

There are also issues of funding. Schools have had to make budget cuts, meaning that they are struggling to offer the necessary provisions to their staff and students.

While the government has not as yet specified what form post-16 compulsory maths would take, Sunak made it clear that he was not intending that all pupils should take A-level maths. Instead, the government is exploring options which include existing qualifications, such as core maths.

The subject was introduced in 2013 and has been taught since 2015. It differs from A-level maths by focusing on topics such as finance, modelling, optimisation, statistics, probability and risk in a way which favours the application of these ideas rather than the theory behind them. Most of the background mathematical skills needed are at a similar difficulty to GCSE maths.

Expanding core maths

If the government is committed to extending post-16 maths, making core maths compulsory (for those who do not take A-level maths) may well be the best option.

The added advantage of core maths is that it does not strictly require teachers to be subject specialists, though teachers must have a competent level of mathematics knowledge.

It is intended for A-level students who have passed their GCSE maths but who are not taking A-levels in maths. It can be taught alongside existing A-level qualifications, carrying the same number of UCAS points as an AS-level (roughly equivalent to half an A-level). It can be taught in one year or spread over two.

The number of students taking core maths has grown, if slowly: from just under 3,000 in 2015 to just over 12,000 students in 2022.

A limited number of further education colleges have made the qualification available. Universities have also been slow to recognise the qualification, as core maths does not count as one of the three required A-level qualifications which universities traditionally base offers on. However, some universities have started recognising core maths in their offers to students.

Some post-16 educational pathways which are not based on A-levels already have some form of compulsory mathematics. These include the International Baccalaureate and some vocational qualifications such as T-Levels. In addition, students in post-16 education who have failed to reach a level 4 or grade C in GCSE mathematics must resit this qualification until they achieve a pass.

However, if Sunak's statements are correct in that there is such an obvious need for mathematics to be made compulsory until the age of 18, this may suggest that GCSE mathematics is not adequately meeting the needs of students. The reasons for the low uptake of mathematics after the age of 16 often stem from issues which learners face at a much younger age.

Many young people feel high anxiety about maths and even a strong dislike towards the subject. It may be that the existing mathematics curriculum should be carefully considered before post-16 mathematics is made compulsory.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×