Carol Vorderman responds to Rishi Sunak's maths plan, suggests alternative system

5 January 2023, 20:47

Carol Vorderman talks Rishi Sunak's maths plan

The former Countdown star has recommended an alternative to Rishi Sunak's plan to make maths compulsory for students until 18 years old.

Carol Vorderman has responded to the news that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants students to study maths until they're 18.

The gifted mathematician, TV personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist first found fame on Countdown in the '80s, where she solved complex number problems in a matter of seconds.

Despite being hugely passionate about the subject, she told Toby Tarrant why she thought the plan was unnecessary and wasn't the solution to the improving performance in UK schools.

"So obviously I'm a big fan of maths,' she told Radio X. "I have an online maths school. I've taught a million children online over the last 12 years. It's my absolute passion. I give bursaries to kids from a similar background to me to go study maths at uni. Blah. This is my thing.

"And I would say, why, oh why, oh why? Stop looking at the age. Great if people want to study to age 18, but the problems lie much earlier."

READ MORE: Simon Pegg slams Rishi Sunak's maths plan in expletive-filled rant

She went on: "So there are very many issues. Tech isn't used enough. Primary school teachers, if they have a fear, it's of maths, because most of them - almost all - gave up maths at 16.

"So that's what we've kind of come from and I have said and recommended that the GCSE changes so we have two different kinds.

"One is about practical numeracy. Your tax returns, your mortgages and how to calculate credit, whatever it is. Your car, what is volume? What is all those different things. And you forget trigonometry. Just chuck it out..."

She added: "Can we just stop pretending and do something practical? If you're going to do something practical. Look at that. Age 14. Create something. Stop teaching to the test. Use tech a lot more, because it works and that's what I would say".

No 10. have said that further details will be set out in due course, but that Sunak’s plan is intended to raise UK standards to meet those of equivalent nations, while boosting people’s financial literacy.

Carol Vorderman isn't the only celebrity to comment on the plan, which was outlined by the PM on Wednesday (4th) January.

Carol Vorderman's new podcast, Perfect 10 with Carol Vorderman, starts on Monday 9th December.

Simon Pegg has also shared his reaction to the news online, but it wasn't so measured.

Speaking in a video posted to his Instagram stories, the Shaun of The Dead star began: "So Rishi Sunak, our unmandated, unelected prime minister twice removed, has decided it should be compulsory for children to learn Maths up until the age of 18 – what a pr***".

“What about arts and humanities and fostering this country's amazing reputation for creativity and self-expresison?” he continued, adding: “What about that? What about the kids that don't want to do Maths? I hated Maths. I dropped Maths as soon as I could and I’ve never needed it other than the skillset I acquired at the age of 12.”

He finished his speech: "But no. Rishi Sunak wants a f***ing drone army of data-entering robots. F*** the Tories.

“Get rid of them. Please! F*** you, Rishi Sunak, and f*** the Tories.”

No 10. have said that further details will be set out in due course.

READ MORE: Simon Pegg reveals whether Spaced will ever return