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Are you a math whiz, or at least able to solve the same equations as your 10-year-old?
Some parents who excelled in math as a student now find themselves stumped trying to find the answers to their child’s math homework.
Adults began sharing math problems on Twitter this week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that math should be compulsory until the age of 18, a move that union leaders warned could result in more teacher strikes.
So, as Mr Sunak lays out his vision for Britain, MailOnline asks… Can you figure out the types of questions your child will be tackling on their SAT test?
In his first major speech as Prime Minister yesterday afternoon, Mr Sunak promised to equip children for the ‘jobs of the future’ by tackling the UK’s high illiteracy rates.
Young people will be forced to take ‘some form’ of mathematics delivered through new courses or existing qualifications such as A-levels, T-levels and Core Maths.
For most, driving is likely to involve practical skills rather than algebra.
Around eight million adults in England have the numeracy skills expected of primary school children, according to government figures.
Currently, only about half of 16-19 year olds study mathematics in any way. The problem is particularly acute for disadvantaged students, 60% of whom do not have basic math skills by age 16.
But union leaders warn that teachers are now more likely to strike after backlash to Sunak’s math promise.
Kevin Courtney, who oversees more than 300,000 educators as assistant general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), accused Sunak of a “shocking failure” in realizing the obstacles facing the industry.
Young people will be forced to take ‘some form’ of mathematics delivered through new courses or existing qualifications such as A-levels, T-levels and Core Maths. For most, driving is likely to involve practical skills rather than algebra.
“Sunak’s plan is disappointing not only because of its lack of realism but also because of its lack of vision,” Courtney said.
“He ignores the increasingly detailed and urgent debates on curriculum reform that have been taking place in the education sector and even within his own party.
‘Most of the people who voted will have voted. But I think there will be some people who will look at this and think ‘is that all they have to say about education?’
“It doesn’t seem like they are taking the problem of the teacher hiring crisis seriously because they haven’t met their math teacher hiring goals every year for the past 11 years.”
Teachers, who are currently voting, say the plan does not address the hiring crisis currently plaguing the sector.
More than 500,000 teachers from three unions are considering a possible strike in England and Wales, with deadlines to vote from January 9.
Unions have urged staff to vote as soon as possible amid fears postal chaos could delay the return of ballots.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured last month) declared yesterday that mathematics should be compulsory until the age of 18.
More than 500,000 teachers from three unions are considering a possible strike in England and Wales, with a deadline to vote on January 9.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have dismissed the initiative as “empty”, while conservatives urged Sunak to focus on tackling illegal immigration.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the prime minister “needs to show his work” as he “cannot deliver on this overheated, empty promise without more maths teachers.”
He added: “However, the government missed its target for new math teachers year after year, and existing teachers left en masse.”
A Labor source said: ‘In their desperation to ensure that Sunak’s speech does not follow Keir’s, No 10 have revealed that they have nothing to offer the country except…double math.
‘As the health service collapses after 12 years of Tory rule, criminals terrorize the streets and workers worry how their wages will last for the month, the country is entitled to ask: is this all?’
Former Cabinet Minister John Redwood tweeted: “While the Prime Minister focuses his attention on teaching mathematics, his election must not be forgotten as the most pressing priority was to stop illegal immigration.
‘Parliament urgently needs to legislate on small boats and public services.’
Nigel Farage also chimed in and said: ‘So Rishi Sunak’s big idea to save the nation is maths till 18! How will quadratic equations help solve Broken Britain?
WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?
- 38
- 13
- 378
- 821
- 49,999
- 40.5
- 2 or 4
- 3/5 8/15 11/20
- The answer is E. Solve by taking the answer, 14, and reversing the steps described. Subtraction becomes addition (14 + 6 = 20), doubling becomes halving (half of 20 is 10), and you end up with a starting number of 10.
- The answer is b. The graph does not have a bar for “zero DVD”, so you must calculate it by adding the total number of students represented by the bars shown and subtracting it from the total number of students in the class (30) . 3 students have 1-10 DVDs, 4 students have 11-20, 6 have 21-30, 7 have 31-40, 5 have 41-50, 2 have 51-60 and 1 have 71-80 DVD. Add 3 + 4 + 6 + 7 + 5 + 2 + 1 = 28, which is two less than the total for the class of 20 students, so the correct answer is 2.