Making mathematics count : the report of Professor Adrian Smith's inquiry into post-14 mathematics education

Abstract

Remit and responsibilities of the national and regional centres Funding requirements for the NCETM and the RMCs The governance of the NCETM and the RMCs The location and management of the NCETM and the RMCs Appendix 1 List of Recommendations by ChapterThirdly, there is a lack of support infrastructure, both at national and local levels, to provide continuing professional development and resources, including ICT, in support of excellence in the teaching and learning of mathematics.My report makes a number of recommendations for addressing these problems.Some, I believe, can be implemented straightaway and would produce immediate improvements.Others require more radical, longer-term changes.So far as the curriculum and qualifications framework is concerned, it is timely that the publication of the report of this Inquiry follows so closely after the publication of the Interim Report of the Working Group on 14-19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform.The Post-14 Mathematics Inquiry strongly welcomes and endorses the broad philosophy of the Working Group's proposals.I believe THE IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS 1Mathematics for its own sake 1.1 Mathematics provides a powerful universal language and intellectual toolkit for abstraction, generalization and synthesis.It is the language of science and technology.It enables us to probe the natural universe and to develop new technologies that have helped us control and master our environment, and change societal expectations and standards of living.Mathematical skills are highly valued and sought after.Mathematical training disciplines the mind, develops logical and critical reasoning, and develops analytical and problemsolving skills to a high degree. Mathematics for the knowledge economy1.2 Mathematics is of central importance to modern society.It provides the vital underpinning of the knowledge economy.It is essential in the physical sciences, technology, business, financial services and many areas of ICT.It is also of growing importance in biology, medicine and many of the social sciences.Mathematics forms the basis of most scientific and industrial research and development.Increasingly, many complex systems and structures in the modern world can only be understood using mathematics and much of the design and control of high-technology systems depends on mathematical inputs and outputs.Mathematics for science, technology and engineering 1.3 Ensuring an adequate supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills is at the heart of the UK Government's strategy for innovation and productivity and was the subject of the recent important Roberts report (April 2002), SET for Success: the supply of people with science, engineering and mathematics skills.1.4 The report documents the declining numbers of young people continuing post-16 with education in subjects with high mathematics content other than in Scotland, where numbers have increased substantially in recent years as a result of the introduction of new National Qualifications in 1999, which provided a wider range of qualifications.The UK is almost alone in Europe in not making some form of mathematics a compulsory part of the post-16 curriculum.Currently, less than 10 per cent of the age cohort in England continues with mathematics post-16; and less than 10 per cent of those who do continue go on to do a mathematics degree.1.5 Against this background, the Roberts report provides a wealth of data and analysis in support of the need for greater numbers of trained young people with appropriate mathematical skills.In particular, it provides evidence from employment rates, salary levels and surveys of employers' recruitment Places unfilled Places filled Number of entrants and places Year Per cent Science English & Drama Mathematics All secondary subjects Source: DfES places and TTA ITT Census• work closely with the RMCs to ensure an adequate supply of "expert teachers" to provide mentoring and support to local schools and colleges;• coordinate and monitor CPD delivery provided by the RMCs; • provide a national forum for the evaluation, synthesis and dissemination of research and development findings in the field of mathematics education;• provide a database and act as an archive for exemplary teaching and learning and CPD resources and research and development findings;• support and encourage the further development and dissemination of existing mathematics enhancement and distance-learning initiatives;• foster international links and collaborative exchanges in relation to research and development in mathematics education.• provide infrastructure support for quality assured schemes for bringing HE students into the classroom (see, also, Recommendation 6.3);• together with the NCETM, develop and promulgate programmes and projects aimed at raising the profile of mathematics with pupils, teachers, careers advisers, parents, employers and the public.

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