TTR0079

Written evidence submitted by Mathematics in Education in Industry

Mathematics in Education in Industry (MEI) is a charity dedicated to improving maths education for the benefit of everyone in society.

Among other activities MEI is involved in some government funded initiatives.

• MEI runs the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme to increase participation in level 3 maths (Core Maths, AS/A levels in Maths and Further Maths) and to support improvement in the teaching of these qualifications
• MEI is the curriculum partner to develop full curriculum packages in mathematics across Key Stages 1 to 4 for the Oak National Academy
• MEI provides key leadership (including the Director) for the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics (NCETM) which coordinates the work of Maths Hubs across England
• Charlie Stripp, the Chief Executive of MEI, is a member of the expert advisory group tasked with providing advice to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education on how to implement the mission for all young people to study maths to age 18

MEI wishes to bring one matter to the attention of the committee, in response to the question ‘Which subjects are most affected?’

The committee will no doubt consider evidence which shows that there is currently a shortage of qualified teachers of mathematics in the classroom and that the teacher supply pipeline for producing the next generation of teachers is failing to meet its targets.

The Prime Minister’s recent announcements about the mission for all young people to study mathematics to age 18 will add to the challenge of teacher supply considerably. The DFE’s estimate is that this will require provision of two years of maths teaching for an extra 290,000 young people each year.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1132372/Post_16_maths_participation_ad_hoc_statistics.pdf​

MEI estimates that this would require between 1000 and 2000 extra teachers of mathematics in the classroom. This compares with the most recent target of 2,040 trainees to be teachers of mathematics (1,844 actual new entrants) to meet current needs.

There may be other possibilities to explore to meet this challenge.

• Since the new extra demand is in the post-16 sector, can the FE postgraduate teacher training route be adapted, resourced and promoted?
• Can existing teachers be retrained to meet the needs of the new post-16 curriculum without just moving the problem elsewhere in the system?
• How can online tuition and technology help? 

April 2023

CS Version 1.0

21 April 2023