Government to create maths teacher army

If there's one thing that Westmonster really needed at primary school - apart from Thatcher to bring the free milk back and for Percy Jackson from Year 3 to stop stealing our Ghostbusters Panini stickers - it was for a kindly teacher to take us to one side and explain the polynomial attributions inherent within the McLaurin-Taylor equation. And now - in this crazy modern age - it seems that legions of children shall be granted our wish.

How we yearn to be young again.

Okay, okay ... we're exaggerating slightly. What has actually happened is that the government has announced plans to train up over 1000 'specialist maths teachers' and unleash them on Britain's primary schools. Why? Well, because they want every single whippersnapper in the land to leave school 'without a fear of maths.'

Secretary for Schools Ed Balls says:

"Basic maths concepts and language need to be firmly embedded in children’s minds at a young age - so all children are confident using numbers. Therefore, it is critical that we engage all children early in maths in order for them to do well at secondary level and in their GCSEs."

Presumably modern problems may include the ratio of decibels to passenger reaction whilst blurting out insipid R'N'B from a mobile phone on public transport, or the number of attempts 'John' and 'Pravesh' can make at applying for Big Brother before their dreams of micro-celebrity fade away and a new, reality-based mature outlook emerges.

Answer: both are increasing daily.

Written by C J Davies on 17 Jun 2008 10:36 PM. Permalink