Brightest Shine Less Brightly At 16

Institute of Education (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A new study has highlighted the differences in mathematical ability between the children of different countries at different ages. According to researchers at the Institute of Education in London, England's brightest primary school pupils are on a par, mathematically, with the those from Taiwan and Hong Kong. But by the time pupils reach 16, the comparative performance achieved by the top 10% falls. Overall the English pupils came 28th out of 65 countries at this age.

When looking at the average scores of the entire cohort, the pupils from east Asia performed better than those from England at all ages, but the gap didn't widen as the pupils became older.

What is going on here? There is no doubt it is disappointing, but what or who is to blame?

a) The curriculum? Is the curriculum too narrow at secondary school? There is no doubt that the very brightest pupils in UK schools will absorb everything they are taught. So are we simply not teaching enough? Do the top 10% need extra challenges?

b) The teaching? There is a long-standing debate over whether, as a society, we value the work of teachers enough. Would increasing the average pay of teachers encourage better, more inspirational teachers into the classroom? Would this really make a difference in educational standards?

c) The culture? Is there enough of a culture of learning in our schools? Are there schools in which pupils learn little or nothing mathematically? Are there schools in which the poor performance and behaviour of a section of the cohort is adversely affecting the chances for the brightest to progress?

d) The basics? Interestingly, the Institute's report's recommendations suggest taking a new look at the way mathematics is taught in our primary schools, despite the brightest pupils apparently being close to the top of the world rankings at this age. Are we failing to build the foundations of a successful mathematics education with our primary education?

We would be very interested to hear your view. Email info@mathsbank.co.uk .

Maths Inspiration

An excellent series of shows is Maths Inspiration, which challenges and entertains 16-18 year olds with an interest in taking their maths beyond what they learn in the classroom.

The shows are held in large venues with usually three or four inspirational speakers, typically one pure mathematician, one statistician and one engineer. The London show on 28th February features Simon Singh, Hugh Hunt, Colin Wright and Timandra Harkness (MC).

The shows aim to be exciting and to put challenging maths into real-world situations. From attracting 300 pupils and teachers in 2003, the series of events now attracts over 12000 in total.

The content is aimed primarily at sixth formers, but interested GCSE year pupils will also benefit.

There is always a lively Q&A session at the end of each show.

Dates and venues for Spring 2013 are:
London, 28 February
Warrington, 6 March
Newcastle, 8 March
Leeds, 12 March
Bristol, 14 March
Winchester, 20 March
Nottingham, 21 March.

Each show runs from 1pm - 3:45pm, with an extra morning show (9:45am - 12:30pm) in London and Leeds. Read more about the programme and make your reservation on the Maths Inspiration website.

There is also an article about Maths Inspiration in an article from the Education Guardian website and a piece on BBC News.