London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Rishi Sunak's Plan To Make Maths Compulsory In UK Schools Has An Indian Inclination

Rishi Sunak's Plan To Make Maths Compulsory In UK Schools Has An Indian Inclination

At present, students studying in UK Schools have the option to drop math at the age of 16.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said an "anti-maths mindset" is holding the economy back, as he announced a review of the subject in the country. Mr Sunak will hold a meeting today to ensure that students till the age of 18 get some kind of math education at schools, without an A-Level in the subject compulsory. He also suggested people should not make jokes about being bad at maths in order to change attitudes to numeracy.

At present, students studying in UK Schools have the option to drop math at the age of 16. However, the British PM wants to change that. In his first policy speech of 2023, Mr Sunak talked about wanting to make the study of maths compulsory for all students up to the age of 18.

"We're one of the few countries not to require our children to study some form of maths up to the age of 18. Right now, just half of all 16-19-year-olds study any maths at all," Mr Sunak said in his first speech of 2023. "In a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, letting our children out into that world without those skills, is letting our children down. So we need to go further," the Indian-origin prime minister added.

Indian connection

Notably, Mr Sunak's attempt to emphasize the study of mathematics in Britain is being linked to his Indian heritage. The British PM is of Indian origin and needless to say, there is a lot of emphasis on the study of mathematics in India.

Students in the country study maths compulsorily from class 1st to class 10th and it is stereotypically perceived that Indian students are better at maths than those in Western nations. India also has a legacy of extraordinary mathematicians and scholars with immense knowledge and contribution to the field of mathematics.

Not just in India, other Asian nations also have a fetish for maths while ignoring other subjects. A majority of Indian parents ensure that their children study all subjects well but the performance in mathematics is always non-negotiable and emphasised.

Parents and teachers often equate being good in school with being good at maths. They also believe that being successful in that one subject will become synonymous with success in life and earning a livelihood.

Many also called the UK PM's decision as ''the Indian parent in Rishi Sunak talking.'' Talking to NDTV when Mr Sunak first announced the move back in January, an Indian-origin parent in the UK said, ''I relate to this because I feel some of the basic skills include Math. Everyone should have this skill, even though they do art on anything else. I am not surprised it came from Sunak. He relates to India where we do a lot of Math.''

According to a release from 10 Downing Street, around eight million adults in Britain have the numeracy skills of primary school children. Many young people feel high anxiety about maths and even a strong dislike towards the subject. This lack of maths skills has been estimated to cost the UK £20 billion per year.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×