Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage will formally launch her brand new All Party Parliamentary Group for Maths and Numeracy in Westminster on World Maths Day this Wednesday, 12th March.
The group has been set up in light of last year's OECD figures which showed that 8.5 million adults in England and Wales have numeracy skills weaker than the average ten year old. The aim of the APPG is to raise awareness about the importance of basic maths skills and to inform policy on improving adult numeracy and the future teaching of maths in schools. The group will be launched by Education Minister, Liz Truss MP.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Caroline said:
"Not only are basic maths skills essential to our daily lives, they are also essential to Britain's economic prosperity. If the UK is to be successful in the global race, it is essential that we take action to tackle this problem and raise the mathematical ability of people of all ages.
I am confident that the APPG for Maths and Numeracy will make a valuable contribution to policymaking in the future and I welcome the enthusiasm that Parliamentarians have shown for the Group so far."
Education Minister, Liz Truss MP, added:
"Maths is a vital subject for our children to master and for our country's prosperity – maths qualifications command the highest earnings premium and are the best protection against unemployment. We have instigated a top-to-bottom overhaul of the subject so that all the way from the start of primary school through to 18 our young people have the best chance to succeed in maths.
I am pleased to see the launch of the new APPG on maths and look forward to seeing its work."
Caroline has long campaigned about the importance of basic skills; most recently, she helped to secure a Business Innovation & Skills Select Committee inquiry into adult literacy and numeracy issues in the UK. She will act as Co-Chair of the APPG, alongside Barry Sheerman MP, whilst the group's secretariat will be formed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) and the National Numeracy charity. see the launch of the new APPG on maths and look forward to seeing its work."
MPs and Peers from a wide range of parties will be attending Wednesday's event, as well as key stakeholders from the education and skills sector. The event will also mark the launch of the National Numeracy Challenge which aims to lift at least a million adults in the UK out of poor numeracy over the next five years.