Experts address Lords Committee on the state of maths education in the UK

The Science and Technology Committee, chaired by Lord Mair, is examining several key issues, including why a significant proportion of pupils fail maths at GCSE, challenges in teacher recruitment and the future of the maths curriculum in an increasingly AI-driven world.

The one-off evidence session, at 10.15am on Tuesday March 4, will consider maths education in schools, before turning to adult numeracy and the everyday maths skills needed at work and home.

On mathematics education in schools, the Committee will hear from:

• Lynne McClure OBE, Chair of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences
• Conrad Wolfram, Wolfram Research
• Charlie Stripp MBE, CEO of Mathematics Education Innovation

On post-19 education, adult numeracy and the maths skills needed for life, the Committee will take evidence from:

• Alex Stevenson, Deputy Director, Learning and Work Institute
• Sam Sims, CEO of National Numeracy
• Bobby Seagull, mathematics teacher, broadcaster and writer

Questions likely to be explored with the first three witnesses are: 

• the growing number of students taking A-level maths, which reached a record high in recent years, while approximately 40% of students failed their GCSE maths in 2024
  
  
• whether the current maths curriculum prepares students for future technological challenges
  
  
• how different regions and groups of students perform in maths, and what the UK can learn from high-performing countries like Singapore

In the second half of the session, the Committee will focus on: 

• gaps in adult numeracy and how this affects the workforce and recruitment issues
  
  
• budgets for adult numeracy initiatives and how these will address current challenges
  
  
• the practical use of maths in everyday contexts, including the understanding of data and financial literacy

The meeting in Committee Room 3 at the Houses of Parliament will be open to the public, and available to watch live or later on Parliament TV here.

It is also being livestreamed on X/Twitter. The Committee, whose membership is here, will shortly be launching its next full inquiry.