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NFB makes a statement on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Maths plan
On 17 April 2022, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised the UK’s ‘anti-maths mindset’ and announced that a review will take place into how maths can be taught in England, so that all pupils study the subject, without it being made compulsory.
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said, “Mr Sunak is taking the right approach and he should look to the construction industry for solutions. Carpenters are trigonometry experts. Bricklayers visualise ratios. Algebra is core to engineering. And quantity surveyors, well, maths is in the name. In almost every construction discipline, maths skills are tested practicably.
The NFB will be participating in the forthcoming review, but we would urge the PM to contact us early on. Maths is as important as reading but often, people assume maths skills means having a maths qualification, rather than how maths skills are used day to day and advanced intrinsically throughout a career.”
