IOE Public Debates:

We use maths in every aspect of our lives. We need numeracy at work, as citizens to make sense of economic news, as patients to understand risks, as consumers to work out the best deal; the list goes on.

But it’s something that as a nation we’re not good at, and poor numeracy costs individuals and the UK dearly. And despite this, it remains acceptable to say – boast even – ‘I’m no good at maths’. Why do so many of us struggle with maths at school, and what can schools and parents do so that more children grow up enjoying this subject and confident in their use of numbers? Can we learn anything from other subjects, or other countries?

We’ve asked leading experts: if you were schools minister, what steps would you take to resolve this problem?

Speakers include:

•Dame Celia Hoyles, DBE, OBE, Professor of Mathematics Education, UCL Institute of Education

• Tom Francome, Lecturer in Secondary Mathematics, University of Birmingham

• Jeremy Hodgen, Professor of Mathematics Education, UCL Institute of Education

• Craig Barton, teacher and creator of mrbartonmaths.com

• Chair: Becky Francis, Director, UCL Institute of Education

#IOEDebates